. 


THE   THIRSTY   SWORD 


'AASTA   GRIPPED    HER    SWORD    AND    LEAPT    UPON    RODERIC. 


THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

A  STORY  OF 

THE   NORSE   INVASION   OF   SCOTLAND 
(1262-1263) 


BY 

ROBERT    LEIGHTON 

Author  of  "  The  Pilots  of  Pomona,"  etc. 


WITH  ILLUSTRATIONS  BY  ALFRED  PEARSE 
AND  A   MAP  OF  THE   WESTERN  ISLES  OF  SCOTLAND 


NEW  YORK 
CHARLES    SCRIBNER'S    SONS 

1903 


COPYRIGHT,  1892,  BY 
CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS. 


CONTENTS 


CHAP.  PAGE 

I.    THE  WITCH  OF  BUTE 9 

II.    THE  DARK.  FOREST  OF  BARONE 18 

III.  How  EARL  RODERIC  SPILLED  THE  SALT     .     .  24 

IV.  THE  DARKENING  HALL 35 

V.     A  TERRIBLE  DISCOVERY 43 

VI.    ALPIN'S  Vow  OF  VENGEANCE 55 

VII.     THE  ARROW  OF  SUMMONS 63 

VIII.     AN  ERIACH-FINE 69 

IX.    THE  ORDEAL  BY  BATTLE 79 

X.    AASTA'S  CURSE 89 

XI.     THE  SWORD  OF  SOMERLED 95 

XII.    How  KENRIC  WAS  MADE  KING 108 

XIII.  THE  "WHITE  LADY"  OF  THE  MOUNTAIN    .     .  114 

XIV.  IN  SOLEMN  ASSIZE 125 

XV.  THE  DOMINION  OF  THE  WESTERN  ISLES      .     .  134 

XVI.  KENRIC  BEFORE  KING  ALEXANDER      ....  144 

XVII.  How  ALLAN  REDMAIN  KEPT  WATCH  ....  154 

XVIII.  THE  EXPEDITION  TO  THE  ISLAND  KINGS      .     .  165 

XIX.  STORMING  AN  ISLAND  STRONGHOLD     ....  178 

5 


2136732 


6  PREFACE 

CHAP.  PACE 

XX.  ALONE  WITH  DEATH 193 

XXI.  How  KENRIC  MADE  HIMSELF  STRONG   ...  203 

XXII.  THE  Two  SPIES 213 

XXIII.  THE  INVASION  OF  BUTE 228 

XXIV.  THE  SIEGE  OF  ROTHESAY  CASTLE    ....  241 
XXV.  THE  GREAT  NORSE  INVASION 254 

XXVI.  A  TRAITOR  KNAVE 268 

XXVII.  THE  BATTLE  OF  LARGS 283 

XXVIII.  AASTA'S  SECRET  MISSION 306 

XXIX.  ELSPETH  BLACKFELL 317 

XXX.  THE  BLACK  FROST  ON  ASCOG  MERE  .  .  .  329 

XXXI.  THE  LAST  DREAD  FIGHT 340 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 

"AASTA  GRIPPED  HER  SWORD  AND  LEAPT  UPON  ROD- 
ERIC     Frontispiece 

RODERIC  TRIES  TO  STRANGLE  KENRIC 58 

"WITH  A  FIERCE  CRY  THEY  RUSHED  TOGETHER"     .    .  83 

AASTA  REVEALS  "  THE  THIRSTY  SWORD  " 105 

TEARING  DOWN  THE  NORWEGIAN  FLAG 187 

"  AASTA  PLUNGED  HER  DAGGER  INTO  HIS  HEART  "     .    .  225 

AASTA  BRINGS  NEWS  OF  THE  INVASION  TO  THE  KING    .  266 

"  YOU  LIE,  VILE  WRETCH,  YOU  LIE  !  "  CRIED  RODERIC  .  321 


Map  of  the  Isle  of  Bute 17 

Map  of  the  Western  Isles  (southern  section) 176 


THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 


CHAPTER    I 

THE    WITCH    OF    BUTE 

H,  if  only  Kenric  were  here!" 

It  was  on  the  evening  of  a  bright 
day  in  June,  in  the  year  1262,  and  a 
girl,  clasping  her  hands  in  distress, 
walked  restlessly  to  and  fro  on  the  bank  of  a 
stream  that  tinkled  merrily  along  its  gravelly 
bed  towards  the  sea.  She,  in  her  loose  gown 
of  gray  woollen  homespun  and  girdle  of  crim- 
son silk,  was  then  the  only  figure  to  be  seen 
for  miles  arpund.  Far  to  the  south  were  the 
blue  mountains  of  Arran,  and  westward  across 
the  Sound  were  the  brown  hills  of  Kintyre, 
with  the  rosy  light  of  the  setting  sun  behind 
them.  The  girl,  shading  her  eyes  from  the 
strong  light,  looked  over  the  moorland  towards 
the  castle  of  Kilmory. 

"  If  Kenric  were  but  here ! "  she  said  again. 
And  as  she  turned  to   run   to  the  stream,  all 


IO  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

suddenly  she  was  startled  by  the  sound  of  a 
heavy  thud  upon  the  heather  at  her  feet.  She 
looked  round  and  saw  that  a  large  capercailzie 
had  fallen  there.  The  bird  was  dead,  and  there 
was  an  arrow  in  its  breast. 

At  the  same  moment  there  was  a  lusty  shout 
of  joy  from  among  the  trees  and  a  stalwart 
youth  came  bounding  towards  her.  In  his 
right  hand  he  bore  a  long-bow,  and  at  his  belt 
were  hung  a  dead  hare  and  a  brace  of  wild 
moor-fowl,  whose  dripping  blood  trickled  down 
his  sturdy  legs. 

"  Ailsa !  "  he  cried  in  surprise,  seeing  the  girl 
as  he  came  to  secure  the  bird  he  had  just 
killed.  "  You  here  so  late,  and  alone  ? " 

Ailsa's  fair  cheeks  grew  rosy  as  the  evening 
sky,  for  the  youth  was  he  whom  she  had  wished 
for,  Kenric,  the  son  of  the  brave  Earl  Hamish 
of  Bute,  and  now  that  he  was  so  near  her  she 
felt  suddenly  timid. 

He  was  a  lad  of  sixteen  years,  not  tall,  but 
very  thickset  and  stout  built,  broa4  shouldered, 
deep  chested,  and  strong  limbed.  His  long 
silky  locks  were  a  rich  nut-brown,  and  his 
sparkling  eyes  were  dark  and  gentle  as  those 
of  a  fallow-deer.  The  sun  and  the  bracing 
sea-air  had  made  ruddy  his  fair  skin,  even  to 
his  firm,  round  throat  and  his  thick  arms,  that 
were  left  bare  by  his  rough  coat  of  untanned 
buckskin. 


THE    WITCH    OF    BUTE  II 

"You  have  been  weeping,  Ailsa,"  said  he, 
looking  into  her  tearful  eyes. 

"  Sir,"  said  she,  speaking,  as  he  did,  in  the 
guttural  Gaelic  tongue,  "  come,  I  beseech  you, 
to  the  help  of  two  poor  ouzels,  whose  nest  is 
far  in  under  the  roots  of  yonder  birch-tree.  If 
you  help  not  quickly,  their  little  fledglings  will 
be  eaten  up  by  a  thieving  stoat  that  has  but  a 
few  moments  ago  entered  their  nest." 

"  You  make  needless  dole,  Ailsa,  over  a  pair 
of  worthless  birds  and  their  chicks,"  said  he 
scornfully.  "  Why,  I  have  this  day  slain  a  full 
half-score  of  birds  !  Ay,  and  right  willingly 
would  I  have  doubled  their  number." 

"  The  birds  you  have  slain  are  for  men's 
food,"  said  she,  "  but  the  birds  I  speak  of  sing  as 
sweetly  as  the  mavis,  and  I  have  watched  them 
tenderly  for  many  sunny  days  past.  Rescue 
them  for  me,  good  Kenric,  for  I  love  them 
right  well,  and  I  would  not  for  the  world  that 
any  ill  should  befall  them." 

Then  Kenric  went  with  her  to  the  stream's 
bank,  and  as  he  stood  there  his  keen  eyes  saw 
something  move  across  the  short  grass  at  the 
water's  edge.  Promptly  he  put  an  arrow  to  his 
bow-string  and  took  deft  aim.  The  shaft  sped 
quickly  to  its  mark,  plunged  into  the  body 
of  a  stoat,  and  pinned  the  animal  to  the  soft 
turf. 

"There,  Ailsa,"  said  he,  "the  murderous  thief 


12  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

is  justly  punished !  "  and  springing  down  the 
bank  he  put  his  heel  upon  the  writhing  animal 
and  lightly  drew  out  his  arrow  from  its  body, 
while  Ailsa  picked  up  the  bleeding  fledgling 
that  the  stoat  had  been  carrying  away  in  its 
teeth.  She  took  the  maimed  little  bird  to  the 
birch-tree  that  Kenric  might  restore  it  to  its 
nest.  But  at  the  mouth  of  the  nest  lay  the  dead 
body  of  one  of  the  parent  birds,  and  hovering 
near  it  was  the  mother  ouzel,  uttering  sharp 
cries  of  distress  at  the  murder  of  her  mate  and 
little  one. 

"And  now,"  said  Kenric,  "I  must  hie  me 
back  to  St.  Blane's,  for  our  good  Abbot  God- 
frey bade  me  be  with  him  ere  nightfall.  Where 
is  your  brother  Allan  ?  Say,  was  he  of  those 
who  went  with  my  father  and  Alpin  to  the 
hunting  in  Glen  More  this  forenoon  ?  " 

But  Ailsa  was  again  weeping  over  the  fate 
of  her  water-ouzels  and  did  not  answer  him. 

Ailsa  was  some  two  years  younger  than  him- 
self. They  had  been  companions  from  the  time 
of  their  infancy.  Her  father,  Sir  Oscar  Red- 
main,  of  Kilmory  Castle,  was  the  steward  of 
Earl  Hamish  of  Bute,  and  Ailsa  was  even  as  a 
sister  to  the  two  lads  of  Rothesay  Castle.  With 
Kenric,  the  younger  of  the  earl's  sons,  she  had 
been  taught  what  little  there  was  to  be  learned 
in  those  rude  times,  under  Godfrey  Thurstan, 
the  Abbot  of  St.  Blane's,  a  wise  and  holy  man 


THE    WITCH    OF    BUTE  13 

who,  next  to  Earl  Hamish  himself,  was  held  in 
the  highest  honour  of  all  men  in  Bute. 

Now,  just  as  Kenric,  unable  to  soothe  Ailsa, 
was  turning  to  leave  her,  a  shadow  passed 
between  him  and  the  evening  sunlight,  and  at 
the  head  of  the  bank  there  walked  an  aged 
woman,  bearing  upon  her  bent  back  a  bundle 
of  faggots.  Ailsa  raised  her  blue  eyes,  and  at 
sight  of  the  old  woman  shrank  back  and  felt  in 
her  dark  hair  for  the  sprig  of  feathery  rowan 
leaves  that  she  wore  there  as  a  charm  against 
witchcraft. 

"  Give  you  good  e'en,  my  lord  of  Bute,"  said 
the  old  woman,  seeing  Kenric  and  dropping  her 
bundle  on  the  ground.  At  these  strange  words 
Kenric's  cheeks  grew  crimson. 

"  I  am  no  lord,  Elspeth  Blackfell,"  said  he, 
going  nearer  and  trying  to  fathom  her  meaning 
in  her  wrinkled  and  grimy  face,  "  and  I  know  no 
reason  for  your  calling  me  by  that  high  name." 

"  Not  yet,"  said  the  old  crone,  "  not  yet.  But 
by  my  sooth,  the  time  will  surely  come,  and 
that  full  speedily,  when  all  shall  hail  you  lord 
of  Bute." 

"  I  seek  no  sooth  from  such .  as  you,"  said 
Kenric  frowning ;  "  and  you  shall  win  naught 
from  me  by  your  false  flatteries." 

Just  then  he  felt  the  hand  of  Ailsa  draw- 
ing him  back  as  though  to  keep  him  from  the 
blighting  touch  of  the  old  woman's  bony  fingers. 


14  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

"  Go  not  so  near  to  her  !  "  whispered  the  girl, 
making  the  sign  of  the  cross.  "  Let  her  not 
touch  you  with  her  evil  hands,  lest  she  put  her 
enchantments  upon  you." 

Old  Elspeth  smiled  grimly,  and  showed  the 
one  lonely  tooth  that  was  in  the  front  of  her 
shrunken  gums. 

"  Heed  not  the  child's  silly  fears,"  said  she  to 
Kenric,  "  and  tell  me,  for  what  cause  has  she 
been  weeping  ? " 

"  It  was  a  stoat  that  harried  an  ouzel's  nest 
and  slew  the  birds,"  replied  Kenric. 

"  Bairns  weep  at  trifles,"  said  Elspeth  ;  "  what 
matters  the  death  of  a  little  bird  ?  The  stoat 
must  live  by  the  food  that  the  great  God  gives 
it,  and  the  birds  must  die  when  their  time  comes. 
'Tis  alike  with  all  God's  creatures  upon  earth. 
Even  the  castle  of  Rothesay  is  no  more  free  at 
this  moment  from  its  secret  enemy  than  is  the 
smallest  wild-fowl's  nest." 

"  The  castle  of  Rothesay  ?  "  repeated  Kenric. 
"  Set  me  none  of  your  riddles,  Elspeth,  for  they 
are  harder  to  read  even  than  the  abbot's  missals. 
What  is  your  meaning  ?  My  father  has  not  an 
enemy  in  all  the  isles.  Who,  then,  would  do 
him  an  injury  ?  " 

"  Speed  you  home  to  Rothesay  and  see  with 
your  own  eyes,"  said  Elspeth,  taking  up  her 
bundle  of  faggots  again ;  "  Earl  Hamish  of 
Bute  is  in  great  danger,  I  say.  Go  to  him  now, 


THE    WITCH    OF    BUTE  15 

I  charge  you,  and  give  him  my  warning  against 
the  enemy  who  is  within  his  gates." 

And  at  that  she  hobbled  away  down  the 
hillside  towards  the  little  wooden  hut  that  was 
her  home.  As  she  went  the  red  sun  sank 
behind  the  dark  hills  of  Kintyre.  Kenric  stood 
in  doubt. 

"  I  marvel  that  you  will  dare  to  hold  speech 
with  that  evil  hag,"  said  Ailsa.  "  'Tis  our  own 
good  fortune  if  she  have  not  already  cast  her 
eldritch  spells  upon  us  both." 

"  Nay,  Ailsa ;  fear  her  not.  She  is  but  a 
poor  harmless  body,"  said  Kenric.  "  Only  the 
witless  carls  and  cottar  folk  are  so  simple  as 
to  believe  that  she  has  aught  of  evil  in  her 
words." 

"  Ah,  but  I  well  know  that  Elspeth  is  a  witch," 
declared  Ailsa.  "  Never  do  I  see  her  but  I 
must  shrink  away  and  cross  myself  in  dread  of 
her.  Why  do  all  the  brave  men  of  Bute  fear 
her  more  than  they  would  fear  a  band  of  armed 
Norsemen  ?  She  casts  her  spells  upon  our  kine 
so  that  they  give  no  milk,  and  upon  the  foun- 
tains so  that  the  clear  drinking  water  is  turned 
rank  and  brown.  Allan  told  me  but  yesternight 
that  she  rides  over  to  Inch  Marnock  in  a  boat 
that  has  neither  sails  nor  oars,  and  that  the  ribs 
of  the  boat  are  of  dead  men's  bones." 

Kenric  smiled  no  more  at  Ailsa's  fears ;  for, 
indeed,  so  great  was  the  superstition  of  that 


1 6  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

time,  that  deep  in  his  heart  he  believed  no  less 
strongly  than  did  Ailsa  that  Elspeth  was  as- 
suredly a  witch. 

"  And  what  meant  she  by  her  warnings  of 
an  enemy  in  your  father's  castle  ?  "  added  Ailsa. 

"  Little  reck  I  that,"  returned  Kenric,  "  for 
never  lived  man  in  all  the  Western  Isles  who 
had  so  few  enemies  as  my  good  father." 

"  Right  so,"  said  Ailsa.  "  But  none  the  less, 
Elspeth  is  a  most  wise  soothsayer,  and  you  are 
unwise  if  you  heed  not  her  warning.  And  now 
I  mind  me  that  on  this  very  day,  as  I  was  re- 
turning from  matins,  a  great  ship  of  twelve 
banks  of  oars  came  in  from  the  west  through 
Kilbrannan  Sound,  and  it  let  anchor  in  Scalpsie 
Bay.  As  I  *  looked  upon  that  ship  three  tall 
warriors  were  brought  ashore  in  a  small  boat, 
and,  landing,  they  walked  along  the  shore 
towards  Rothesay." 

"  Three  tall  warriors,  say  you  ?  " 

"  Even  so.  Lulach  the  shepherd  boy  also 
saw  them,  and  said  that  they  were  surely  three 
of  King  Hakon's  men  of  the  Northland.  And 
Lulach  was  much  afraid  of  them,  and  he  fled 
from  their  sight  lest  by  chance  they  should  learn 
that  he  was  a  Dane,  and  seek  to  carry  him  off. 
But  now,  Kenric,  I  must  away,  for  the  night  is 
coming  on  and  you  have  far  to  go.  Yonder  is 
Lulach  driving  home  my  father's  kine.  Go  to 
him  and  he  will  tell  you  of  these  strange  men." 


ISLE    OF  BUTE 

English  Miles 


1 8  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

So  Ailsa  and  Kenric  bade  each  other  good- 
night, and  Kenric  sped  lightly  over  the  heather 
to  where  the  young  shepherd  was  driving  home 
the  long-horned  cattle. 


CHAPTER   II 

THE  DARK  FOREST  OF  BARONE 

WHEN  Lulach  heard  a  shrill  whistle  from 
afar  and  saw  Kenric,  he  tarried  a  while 
that  the  cattle  might  begin  to  browse  upon  the 
lush  grass  that  grew  on  the  marshes  beside  the 
sea.  Then  he  went  forth  to  meet  him,  and 
threw  himself  on  his  knees  before  him,  for 
Lulach  was  a  thrall,  and  it  was  his  custom  thus 
to  pay  homage  to  the  sons  of  the  brave  lord  of 
Bute. 

"  Rise,  Lulach,  rise ! "  said  Kenric,  speaking 
now  in  the  Norse  tongue  that  the  lad  might 
better  understand  him.  "And  tell  me,  what 
manner  of  men  were  the  three  strangers  you 
saw  landing  in  the  bay  of  Scalpsie  this  fore- 
noon ?  " 

"  They  were  men  out  of  the  North,  my  mas- 
ter. I  heard  them  speaking  in  my  own  tongue," 
said  Lulach,  throwing  back  his  long  red  hair 
that  had  fallen  over  his  sun-tanned  face. 

"And  were  they  men  of  peace?" 


19 

"  I  know  not,  my  master;  but  much  did  I  fear 
them,  for  never  knew  I  a  Norseman  yet  who 
was  not  cruel  to  me ;  and  seeing  them  I  hid 
myself  behind  a  rock." 

"  Cowardly  hind !  You  are  but  fit  to  drive 
a  herd  of  kine.  Of  what  aspect  were  these 
men  ?  " 

"  The  one  who  led  them  was  even  as  a  king," 
said  Lulach.  "  He  was  tall  and  strong,  and  his 
footing  was  firm  upon  the  heath.  He  wore  a 
helm  crested  with  a  golden  dragon,  and  a  great 
sword  at  his  side.  I  thought  that  surely  it  was 
the  Earl  Hamish  of  Bute  himself,  for  were  it 
not  that  the  stranger's  hair  was  of  the  colour  of 
the  fox's  coat,  never  saw  I  a  man  that  more 
resembled  your  father." 

"  And  his  followers,  what  of  them  ? " 

"  One  was  an  aged  man  with  a  silver  beard. 
The  other  might  be  his  son.  Ah,  I  wot  they 
are  come  for  no  good  purpose,  my  master,  for 
they  landed  when  the  tide  was  low,  and  that 
bodes  ill  for  Bute." 

"  Heaven  forfend ! "  said  Kenric,  growing 
uneasy  at  the  thought.  "And  now,"  added  he, 
loosing  the  dead  birds  from  his  girdle,  "  take 
me  these  grouse  to  the  abbey,  and  tell  the  good 
abbot  that  I  come  not  to  St.  Blane's  this  night, 
but  that  I  go  home  to  the  castle  to  see  who 
these  strangers  may  be,  and  to  learn  their  pur- 
pose." 


2O  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

But  as  Lulach  was  taking  the  game  into  his 
hands,  he  drew  back  and  pointed  with  trem- 
bling finger  to  the  green  path  that  led  towards 
Rothesay. 

"  See ! "  he  exclaimed,  "  there  is  ill-luck  be- 
fore you  !  Turn  back,  my  master,  turn  back ! " 

"  Ah !  a  magpie,  and  alone  !  "  cried  Kenric, 
seeing  the  bird  in  his  path.  "  That  is  ill-luck 
indeed  !  Give  me  some  salt  from  your  wallet, 
Lulach,  for  if  this  sign  reads  true  then  it  were 
unwise  in  me  to  go  farther  without  some  salt 
in  my  pocket." 

"  Alas  !  "  said  Lulach,  "  I  have  none.  My 
wallet  is  empty !  " 

"  Then  God  be  my  protection!"  said  Kenric, 
and  with  that  he  went  on  his  way,  feeling  a 
dread  foreboding  at  his  heart. 

The  light  of  day  had  faded  from  the  sky  as 
he  passed  by  the  black  waters  of  Loch  Dhu  ; 
but  there  was  a  silvery  glare  above  the  jagged 
peaks  of  the  Arran  fells,  and  he  knew  that  the 
moon  was  rising,  and  that  he  would  soon  have 
her  friendly  light  to  guide  him  through  the 
dark  pine  forest  of  Barone. 

All  was  calm  and  still,  but  through  the  still- 
ness the  hollow  sound  of  a  waterfall  amon^  the 

O 

far-off  mountains  came  to  him  like  the  moaning 

O 

cry  of  a  dying  man.  At  that  sound  he  felt  his 
heart  beating  uneasily  against  his  side,  for  that 
same  cry,  which  rises  from  all  mountain  streams 


THE  DARK  FOREST  OF  BARONE       21 

towards  nightfall,  was  beforetime  held  to  be  of 
ill-omen  when  heard  from  a  distance,  and  Ken- 
ric  was  in  a  likely  mood  to  be  impressed  by 
such  a  sign. 

When  he  came  to  the  borders  of  the  forest  he 
was  almost  afraid  to  venture  among  the  gloomy 
shadows  of  the  trees.  Therein,  as  he  believed, 
dwelt  many  strange  and  mysterious  elves,  that 
were  wont  to  lead  travellers  astray  to  their 
destruction.  But  he  must  pass  through  that 
forest  or  else  go  round  many  miles  across  the 
hills  ;  so  he  braced  his  girdle  tighter  about  him 
and  boldly  plunged  into  the  darkness.  As  he 
went  forth  the  plaintive  cry  of  the  curlew  high 
up  above  the  tree-tops  startled  him  more  than 
once,  and  the  sudden  movement  of  every  wild 
beast  and  bird  that  his  own  footsteps  had 
frightened  filled  him  with  new  fears. 

In  the  broad  daylight  neither  man  nor  beast 
could  have  had  power  to  daunt  him.  He  was, 
when  put  to  his  mettle,  one  of  the  most 
courageous  and  daring  youths  in  the  island, 
and,  saving  only  his  elder  brother  Alpin,  who 
was  the  bravest  swordsman  of  his  own  age  in 
all  the  land,  there  was  none  who  might  attempt 
to  draw  arms  against  Kenric.  And,  in  truth, 
had  it  not  been  that  he  was  sorely  troubled  in 
spirit  concerning  the  strange  words  of  Elspeth 
Blackfell,  and  also  that  so  many  omens  had 
foretold  disaster,  it  may  be  that  even  on  that 


22  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

same  night  he  would  have  passed  through  the 
dark  avenues  of  the  forest  with  neither  doubt 
nor  tremor. 

But  in  an  age  when  the  meaning  of  nature's 
work  was  little  understood,  when  even  religion 
was  not  yet  strong  enough  to  conquer  the 
superstition  which  found  evil  in  things  which 
were  only  mysteries,  it  was  small  wonder  that 
young  Kenric  of  Bute  should  wish  himself 
safely  at  home  in  his  father's  castle,  or  regret 
that  he  had  not  gone  back  to  the  abbey  of  St. 
Blane. 

Nevertheless  it  was  not  alone  the  thought  of 
trolls  and  elfins  that  disturbed  him.  At  that 
time  the  wild  boar  and  the  wolf  were  denizens 
of  the  forest  wherein  he  walked  —  animals 
which  would  indeed  be  welcomed  in  the  day- 
light by  a  band  of  hunters  with  their  spears 
and  hounds,  but  which  might  give  some  trouble 
to  a  youth  appearing  alone  in  their  midst  on  a 
dark  night. 

At  one  moment  when  he  was  deep  within  the 
heart  of  the  forest  he  thought  he  heard  hurried 
footsteps  behind  him.  He  felt  for  his  dirk  and 
turned  round.  The  moon's  beams  pierced  the 
trees  and  fell  upon  a  glistening  pool  of  water 
where  a  wild-cat  was  slaking  its  thirst.  There 
was  naught  else  that  might  cause  him  alarm. 

But  in  a  little  while  he  heard  the  same  sound 
again  —  this  time  in  advance  of  him.  He  stood 


THE  DARK  FOREST  OF  BARONE       23 

still.  In  the  shadow  of  a  great  bare  rock  he 
saw  two  staring  eyes  that  shone  like  gleaming 
fires,  now  green,  now  red,  and  he  knew  that 
they  were  the  eyes  of  a  wolf.  There  was  a  low 
growl  as  of  distant  thunder.  Then  the  moon's 
light  shot  through  a  rack  of  cloud,  and  he  saw 
the  form  of  the  wolf  standing  out  clear  and 
black  against  the  gray  rock.  He  fixed  an  arrow 
to  his  bow-string  ;  but  at  the  sound  of  the  creak- 
ing bow  the  wolf  gave  a  sharp  yelp  and  disap- 
peared into  the  darkness  beyond. 

Kenric,  bolder  now,  unbent  his  bow  and 
stepped  towards  the  rock  that  he  might  see 
whither  the  wolf  had  fled.  In  an  open  glade 
that  was  behind  the  rock  he  saw,  instead  of  the 
wolf,  a  strange  tall  figure  standing  in  the  moon- 
light. It  was  the  figure  of  a  woman,  wondrously 
fair  and  beautiful.  Her  long  hair,  that  fell  over 
her  shoulders,  was  as  the  colour  of  blood,  and 
her  white  bare  arm,  that  shone  like  marble  in 
the  pale  light,  seemed  to  be  pointing  the  way 
to  Rothesay  Castle.  In  her  other  hand  she 
held  a  long  bright-bladed  sword. 

Now  whether  this  figure  appearing  so  mys- 
teriously before  him  was  indeed  that  of  a  woman 
of  human  flesh,  or,  as  he  feared,  the  vision  of 
some  ghostly  dweller  in  the  pine  forest,  Kenric 
could  not  at  that  moment  have  told.  Even  as 
he  stepped  farther  into  the  glade  a  dark  cloud 
again  obscured  the  moon  and  all  was  black  night 


24  THE   THIRSTY    SWORD 

around  him,  and  no  sound  could  he  hear  but 
the  beating  of  his  own  heart  and  the  whisper- 
ing of  the  wind  among  the  trees. 


CHAPTER    III 

HOW    EARL    RODERIC    SPILLED   THE    SALT 

ON  that  same  June  evening,  in  the  year  1262, 
whilst  Kenric  was  at  the  stream-side  with 
Ailsa  Redmain,  the  three  strangers  who  had 
landed  earlier  in  the  day  on  the  shores  of  Bute 
were  feasting  in  the  great  banqueting-hall  of 
the  castle  of  Rothesay.  For  although  to  the 
timid  lad  Lulach  and  to  Ailsa  they  had  appeared 
in  the  guise  of  enemies,  yet  each  of  the  three 
was  known  to  the  Earl  Hamish.  Their  leader 
was,  in  truth,  none  other  than  his  own  brother, 
the  Earl  Roderic  of  the  Isle  of  Gigha.  The 
other  two  were  Erland  the  Old  of  Jura,  and 
Sweyn  the  Silent  of  Colonsay. 

What  their  unexpected  mission  to  the  lord 
of  Bute  might  be  had  yet  to  be  learnt.  But 
when,  betimes,  they  came  to  the  gate  of  Rothe- 
say Castle  they  found  Earl  Hamish  and  his 
steward,  Sir  Oscar  Redmain,  on  the  point  of 
setting  out  on  a  hunting  expedition  into  the 
wilds  of  Glen  More.  And  of  the  band  of  hunt- 


HOW  EARL  RODERIC  SPILLED  THE  SALT         25 

ers  were  Kenric's  elder  brother  Alpin  and 
young  Allan  Redmain. 

So  when  the  strangers  entered  the  castle  and 
had  broken  bread  and  refreshed  their  deep 
throats  with  wine,  they  left  their  swords  and 
dirks  in  the  armoury  and  took  bows  and  hunt- 
ing-spears. Thus  equipped,  they  set  off  with 
Earl  Hamish  and  his  merry  men  and  long- 
limbed  hounds.  And  they  had  great  sport  that 
day,  coming  back  at  sunset  with  a  wild  boar 
that  Earl  Roderic  had  slain,  and  three  antlered 
stags  and  other  spoil. 

In  their  absence  Kenric's  mother,  the  Lady 
Adela,  had  made  prepare  a  feast  for  them  all, 
with  much  venison  and  roasted  beef  and  stewed 
black-cock,  with  cakes  of  bread,  both  white  and 
brown,  and  many  measures  of  red  wine  and 
well-spiced  liquors.  A  silver  drinking-bowl  was 
set  down  for  each  of  the  kingly  guests,  and  a 
goblet  of  beaten  gold  for  the  king  of  Bute. 

The  hall  was  lighted  with  many  cruse-lamps 
that  hung  suspended  from  the  oaken  joists,  and, 
lest  the  evening  should  be  chill,  there  was  a  fire 
of  fragrant  pine  logs  blazing  on  the  open  hearth. 
Round  the  walls  of  the  hall,  that  were  panelled 
with  black  oak  boards,  there  were  many  glitter- 
ing shields  and  corselets,  with  hunting-horns 
and  various  trophies  of  the  chase. 

At  the  fireside  there  sat  an  aged  minstrel, 
whose  duty  it  was  to  fill  in  the  intervals  of  the 


26  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

feast  with  the  music  of  his  harp,  or,  if  need 
were,  to  recite  to  the  company  the  saga  of 
King  Somerled  and  other  great  ancestors  of 
the  kings  of  Bute. 

Earl  Hamish  —  a  tall,  courtly  Highlander, 
with  sad  eyes  and  a  long  brown  beard  —  sat  at 
the  head  of  the  board,  that  with  his  own  strong 
hands  he  might  carve  the  steaming  venison. 
At  his  right  hand  sat  the  earl  of  Jura,  Erland 
the  Old,  and  at  his  left  Earl  Sweyn  the  Silent. 
His  beautiful  wife,  the  Lady  Adela — attired  in 
a  rich  gown  inwoven  with  many  devices  of  silk, 
and  spun  by  the  Sudureyans  —  sat  facing  him  at 
the  far  end  of  the  board.  At  her  right  hand  sat 
Earl  Roderic  of  Gigha ;  and  at  her  left  Alpin, 
her  son. 

So  the  feast  began,  with  much  merry  dis- 
course of  how  the  men  had  fared  that  day  at 
the  hunting  in  Glen  More. 

Now  Erland  and  Sweyn,  kinglings  of  Jura 
and  Colonsay,  though  owing  yearly  tribute  to 
their  overlord,  Alexander  the  Third  of  Scot- 
land, were  both  men  of  the  North,  and  they 
spoke  with  Earl  Hamish  in  the  Norse  tongue. 
Their  discourse,  which  has  no  bearing  upon  the 
story,  was  mainly  of  cattle  and  sheep,  and  of 
the  old  breast-laws  of  the  Western  Isles.  But 
Roderic  of  Gigha  spoke  in  the  Gaelic,  which 
the  Lady  Adela,  though  an  Englishwoman 
born,  could  well  understand. 


HOW  EARL  RODERIC  SPILLED  THE  SALT         2J 

"Ah,  but,"  said  he,  addressing  young  Alpin, 
who  had  been  boasting  of  the  manly  sports  that 
might  be  enjoyed  in  his  father's  dominions, 
"  you  should  one  day  come  to  Gigha,  for  there, 
I  do  assure  you,  we  have  adventure  such  as  you 
never  dream  of  in  Bute." 

"  I  marvel,  my  lord,  how  that  can  be,"  said 
Allan  Redmain  scornfully,  "for  the  kingdom  of 
which  you  boast  is  but  a  barren  rock  in  the 
midsea,  and  methinks  your  beasts  of  the  chase 
are  but  vermin  rats  and  shrew-mice." 

"  The  sports  of  which  I  speak,  young  man," 
said  Roderic,  frowning  and  wiping  his  red  beard 
with  his  broad  hand,  "are  not  such  bairns'  play 
as  you  suppose.  Our  beasts  of  the  chase  are 
burly  men,  and  our  hunting-ground  is  the  wide 
ocean.  I  and  my  gallant  fellows  carry  our 
adventures  far  into  the  north  to  Iceland  and 
Scandinavia,  or  southward  even  into  the  land 
of  the  Angles,  where  there  is  sport  in  plenty 
for  those  who  would  seek  it." 

The  Lady  Adela  looked  up  in  shocked  sur- 
prise. "  But,"  said  she,  "  you  do  not  surely 
count  the  Angles  among  your  enemies,  my 
lord  ?  The  Scots  are  at  peace  these  many 
years  with  my  country  England." 

"  I  should  be  grieved  to  call  any  man  my 
enemy  who  is  your  friend,  my  fair  Lady  Adela," 
said  Roderic  gallantly.  "But  though  the  Scots 
be  indeed  at  peace  with  King  Henry,  yet  the 


28  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

brave  Easterlings  of  Ireland  do  ofttimes  find  the 
need  of  slaying  a  few  of  your  proud  countrymen ; 
and  if  I  help  them  —  well,  where  there  is  aught 
to  be  gained  what  matters  it  who  our  victims 
be,  or  what  lands  we  invade  ?  I  am  for  letting 
him  take  who  has  the  power  to  conquer.  Let 
them  keep  their  own  who  can.  What  say  you, 
Sir  Oscar  ?  Am  I  not  right  ?  " 

"  I  am  a  man  of  peace,  Earl  Roderic,"  said 
Sir  Oscar  Redmain  gravely.  "  I  have  no  ene- 
mies but  the  enemies  of  my  king  and  country. 
And  methinks,  my  lord,  that  a  loyal  subject  of 
the  King  of  Scots  is  but  a  traitorous  hound  if 
he  stoop  to  take  arms  in  favour  of  either  Easter- 
ling  or  Norseman,  and  against  our  good  friends 
of  England.  You,  my  lord,  may  perhaps  pay 
fealty  to  King  Hakon  of  Norway,  as  well  as  to 
his  majesty  Alexander  of  Scotland.  It  is  not 
all  men  who  can  make  it  so  easy  to  serve  two 
masters." 

"  A  traitorous  hound,  forsooth  !  You  surely 
mistake,  me,  Sir  Oscar,"  cried  Roderic,  redden- 
ing at  the  reproach.  "  I  said  not  that  I  paid 
truage  to  any  king  but  our  own  King  of  Scots, 
God  bless  him !  And  though,  indeed,  King 
Alexander  is  but  a  stripling,  knowing  little  of 
kingcraft,  yet,  even  though  he  were  a  babe  in 
arms,  he  and  no  other  is  still  my  sovereign  lord." 
And  at  that  he  raised  his  goblet  to  his  lips  and 
drank  a  deep  draught  of  wine.  Then,  lightly 


HOW  EARL  RODERIC  SPILLED  THE  SALT         2Q 

turning  to  the  lady  of  Rothesay,  and  helping 
her  to  cut  up  the  venison  on  her  platter,  that 
she  might  the  more  easily  take  the  small  pieces 
in  her  dainty  white  fingers,  he  said : 

"After  the  rough  roving  life  that  I  have  been 
leading  these  many  years,  my  lady,  'tis  truly  a 
great  joy  to  come  back  once  more  to  the  peace- 
ful Isle  of  Bute.  Much  do  I  envy  my  good 
brother  Hamish,  in  that  he  hath  so  beauteous 
a  partner  as  yourself  to  sit  before  him  at  his 
board.  Truly  he  is  a  most  fortunate  man  ! " 

Adela's  fair  cheeks  blushed  rosy  red  at  this 
compliment,  but  she  did  not  smile. 

"  Methinks,  Lord  Roderic,"  said  she,  ner- 
vously breaking  the  white  bread-cake  at  her  side, 
"that  with  so  small  a  distance  between  Bute  and 
Gigha,  you  might  surely  have  come  to  visit 
your  brother  long  ere  this  present  time.  For 
although  Earl  Hamish  hath  ofttimes  spoken  of 
you,  yet  never  until  this  day  have  I  seen  you ; 
and  'tis  well-nigh  a  score  of  years  that  I  have 
lived  in  Bute." 

"Alas  !  "  said  Roderic,  looking  uneasy,  "since 
my  poor  father,  Earl  Alpin,  died,  I  have  had 
little  spirit  to  come  back  to  these  scenes.  It 
was  in  anger  that  my  brother  and  I  parted, 
when,  as  you  well  know,  the  lordship  over  the 
two  islands  was  divided.  The  larger  dominion 
of  Bute  fell  to  the  share  of  Hamish.  I,  as  the 
younger  son,  was  perforce  content  to  take  the 


3O  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

miserable  portion  that  I  now  possess.  Gigha  is 
but  a  small  island,  my  lady." 

"  Our  happiness  need  not  depend  upon  the 
extent  of  our  dominions,  Lord  Roderic,"  said 
Adela ;  "  and  I  doubt  not  you  are  passing  happy, 
notwithstanding  that  you  have  but  a  younger 
son's  inheritance." 

"  Not  so,"  said  Roderic,  planting  his  heavy 
elbows  on  the  board ;  "  for  where  can  a  man 
find  happiness  when  those  who  are  dearest  to 
him  have  been  torn  away  ? " 

"  Then  you  have  had  sorrows  ?  "  questioned 
the  lady. 

"  When  I  went  forth  to  take  the  kingship 
of  my  island  home, "  said  he,  "  my  life  was  in- 
deed most  bright  and  joyous ;  and  on  a  time  it 
befell  that  I  went  north  to  Iceland,  and  there 
I  met  one  who  (with  submission  I  say  it)  was 
not  less  beautiful  than  yourself,  my  lady.  She 
was  the  most  beauteous  damsel  that  ever  came 
out  of  the  Northland,  and  her  name  was  Sig- 
rid  the  Fair.  I  married  her  and  we  were 
happy." 

Roderic  again  filled  his  drinking-bowl  and 
looked  across  the  table  at  Alpin's  handsome 
brown  face. 

"  We  had  two  children,"  he  continued  sadly. 
"  The  girl  would  have  been  of  the  years  of  your 
own  son  there,  the  boy  was  two  summers 
younger  than  she." 


HOW  EARL  RODERIC  SPILLED  THE  SALT         3! 

"  Oh,  do  not  tell  me  that  they  are  dead ! " 
cried  Adela. 

"Alas!  but  that  is  so,"  he  sighed.  "One 
sunny  day  they  went  out  hand  in  hand  from  our 
castle  to  play,  as  was  their  wont,  among  the 
rocks  and  caves  that  are  at  the  south  of  our 
island.  Never  since  then  have  they  returned, 
and  some  said  that  the  water-kelpie  had  taken 
them  and  carried  them  away  to  his  crystal  home 
under  the  sea.  Others  whispered  that  the 
kraken  or  some  other  monster  of  the  deep  had 
devoured  them.  They  said  these  things,  believ- 
ing that  Sigrid  had  no  heart  for  her  children,  and 
that  she  was  unkind  to  them.  But  many  days 
thereafter  I  learned  that  a  strange  ship  had  been 
seen  bearing  outward  between  Gigha  and  Cara ; 
and  it  was  the  ship  of  Rapp  the  Icelander,  the 
cruellest  sea-rover  that  ever  sailed  upon  the 
western  seas.  Then  did  I  believe  that  neither 
kelpie  nor  kraken  had  taken  my  bairns,  but 
Rapp  the  Rover. 

"  So  I  got  ship  and  followed  him.  For  three 
long  years  I  followed  in  his  track  —  to  the  frozen 
shores  of  Iceland,  and  into  every  vie  and  fiord 
in  Scandinavia.  Southward  then  I  sailed  to 
the  blue  seas  of  England  —  always  behind  him 
yet  never  encountering  him.  But  at  last  there 
came  a  day  of  terrible  tempest.  The  thunder- 
god  struck  my  ship  and  we  were  wrecked. 
Every  man  that  was  on  board  my  ship  was 


32  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

drowned  saving  only  myself,  for  the  white  sea- 
mew  swims  not  more  lightly  on  the  waters  than 
I.  So  I  was  picked  up  by  a  passing  vessel,  and 
it  was  the  vessel  of  Rapp  the  Icelander.  In- 
stead of  killing  him  I  loved  him,  in  that  he  had 
saved  my  life.  Then  he  told  me,  swearing  by 
St.  Olaf,  that  never  in  all  his  time  of  sea- 
roving  had  he  touched  at  the  little  island  of 
Gigha,  and  that  he  knew  naught  soever  of  the 
dear  children  I  had  lost." 

"  Greatly  do  I  pity  you,  Earl  Roderic,"  said 
Adela,  clasping  her  hands.  "  And  you  have  not 
yet  found  trace  of  your  little  ones  ?  " 

"  No,"  said  Roderic.  "  And  now  do  I  believe 
that  they  are  still  at  play  in  the  crystal  halls  of 
the  water-kelpie,  whence  no  man  can  rescue 
them." 

"And  your  wife  Sigrid,  what  of  her?"  asked 
Sir  Oscar  Redmain. 

"When  I  got  back  to  Gigha,"  murmured 
Roderic,  "  they  told  me  that  in  my  absence  she 
had  gone  mad,  and  that  in  her  frenzy  she  had 
cast  herself  from  the  cliffs  into  the  sea.  Whith- 
ersoever I  have  gone  since  that  sad  time,  there 
have  I  found  unhappiness." 

The  Lady  Adela  looked  upon  the  man  with 
gentle  pity  in  her  dark  eyes.  She  felt  how  dif- 
ferent had  been  his  lot  from  hers  and  her  dear 
husband's.  For  notwithstanding  that  she  dwelt 
in  a  country  not  her  own,  and  among  people 


HOW  EARL  RODERIC  SPILLED  THE  SALT         33 

who  spoke  a  foreign  tongue,  yet  she  was  very 
happy.  The  Earl  Hamish  loved  her  well  and 
was  ever  good  to  her.  And  their  two  sons, 
Alpin  and  Kenric,  growing  up  into  manhood, 
were  very  dear  to  her  heart. 

She  was  the  daughter  of  a  proud  English 
baron,  who  had  wide  dominions  near  the  great 
city  of  York.  Twenty  years  before,  Earl  Ham- 
ish of  Bute  had  been  sent  with  other  wise  coun- 
sellors by  King  Alexander  the  Second  on  a 
mission  to  the  court  of  the  English  king,  Henry 
the  Third,  concerning  the  great  treaty  of  peace 
between  England  and  Scotland,  and  also  to 
consider  the  proposal  of  a  marriage  between 
the  daughter  of  the  King  of  England  and  the 
son  of  the  King  of  Scots.  The  treaty  estab- 
lished a  peace  which  had  not  yet  been  broken, 
and  the  Princess  Margaret  of  England  was  now 
the  Queen  of  Scotland.  But  while  on  that  em- 
bassy to  York  Earl  Hamish  of  Bute  won  more 
than  the  gratitude  of  his  sovereign,  for  he  won 
the  heart  of  the  Lady  Adela  Warwick,  and, 
making  her  his  wife,  he  brought  her  to  his  castle 
of  Rothesay,  where  she  had  lived  happily  ever 
since. 

She  was  thinking  of  these  matters  as  she 
heard  Earl  Roderic's  story  of  his  great  un- 
happiness,  and  her  eyes  were  fixed  dreamily 
before  her. 

Now  Roderic,  to  whom  the  presence  of  this 


34  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

sweet  and  beautiful  lady  was  a  new  experience, 
observed  her  pensiveness  and  wondered  thereat. 
His  roving  glance  presently  fell  upon  her  plate. 
"Ah,"  said  he,  "you  have  no  salt,  my  lady." 
And  thereupon  he  took  her  knife  and  dug  its 
point  into  the  salt-horn. 

"  Nay,  nay !  "  she  cried  in  alarm  ;  and  she 
grasped  his  wrist  so  that  he  spilled  the  salt 
upon  the  table. 

"  What  have  you  done  ? "  he  exclaimed.  "This 
is  the  most  unlucky  thing  that  could  have  hap- 
pened !  Alas,  alas ! " 

"  Would  you,  then,  have  helped  my  lady  to 
sorrow? "  cried  Sir  Oscar  Redmain,  rising  wrath- 
fully.  "  By  the  rood,  but  you  are  a  thoughtless 
loon!" 

Earl  Hamish  at  the  head  of  the  board,  hear- 
ing his  lady's  cry,  rose  hastily  and  approached 
her,  and  saw  that  she  was  very  pale.  "  I  will 
retire,"  said  she,  "for  the  hall  is  over-warm.  I 
am  faint  and  uneasy." 

Earl  Hamish  led  her  to  the  door.  There  he 
kissed  her  fondly  on  her  white  brow  and  she 
went  to  her  chamber. 


THE    DARKENING    HALL  35 

CHAPTER   IV 

THE    DARKENING    HALL 

THE  lord  of  Bute  sat  not  down  again,  for 
the  feast  was  at  an  end.  Sir  Oscar  Red- 
main,  minding  that  he  had  to  travel  all  the  way 
to  Kilmory  that  night,  went  to  his  master  and 
spoke  with  him  aside.  While  the  earl  and  his 
steward  were  thus  engaged,  a  tall  seneschal 
with  his  serving  men  came  into  the  hall  to  clear 
away  the  remains  of  the  banquet ;  and  as  the 
old  minstrel  left  his  place  at  the  fireside  to  con- 
tinue his  harping  in  the  supping-room  of  the 
guards,  the  two  lads,  Alpin  of  Bute  and  Allan 
Redmain,  stepped  to  the  hearth  to  hold  con- 
verse with  the  three  guests. 

Alpin  and  his  young  friend  were  both  about 
nineteen  years  of  age.  They  were  almost  full- 
grown,  and  manly  exercise  had  made  them 
strong.  They  wore  their  rough  hunting  clothes 
—  loose  vests  of  leather,  homespun  kilts,  and 
untanned  buskins.  They  carried  no  weapons, 
for  it  was  held  in  custom  that  none  should  sit 
armed  at  table  in  the  presence  of  strangers. 

"  Tell  me,  Earl  Roderic,"  said  Alpin,  running 
his  fingers  through  his  long  hair  —  "you  have, 
you  say,  been  in  far-off  Iceland  —  tell  me,  is  it 


36  THE   THIRSTY    SWORD 

true  that  in  that  land  there  be  many  mountains 
that  shoot  forth  fire  and  brimstone  ?  " 

"Ay,  that  is  quite  true,  my  lad,"  said  his 
much-travelled  uncle,  "for  I  have  myself  seen 
such  mountains.  Higher  than  Goatfell  they 
are,  with  streams  of  fire  pouring  down  their 
glens." 

"A  most  marvellous  country!"  exclaimed 
Alpin.  "  I  wonder  much  if  I  shall  ever  behold 
that  land." 

"  There  you  will  have  no  such  lordly  feast 
as  that  we  have  just  risen  from,"  added  Roderic, 
picking  his  teeth  with  his  broad  thumb-nail. 

Alpin  and  Allan  watched  him,  hoping  he 
would  tell  them  something  of  his  roving  life. 
Roderic,  finding  that  he  could  not  easily  dis- 
lodge the  piece  of  meat  from  betwixt  his  teeth, 
picked  up  a  twig  of  pine-wood  from  the  hearth, 
and  took  from  the  table  the  large  knife  with 
which  his  brother  had  carved  the  venison,  and 
as  he  began  to  sharpen  the  little  twig  to  a  point 
he  continued: 

"  No  roasted  beef  there  nor  venison,  but  good 
tough  whale-flesh,  black  as  a  peat,  or  else  a  few 
candle-ends — for  the  Icelanders  are  fond  of  fat. 
Once  when  I  was  ship-broken  on 'their  coasts 
naught  could  my  shipmates  find  to  eat  but 
reasty  butter.  Disliking  that  alone,  we  took 
our  ship's  cable,  that  was  made  of  walrus-hide, 
and  smearing  the  cable  with  butter  we  bolted 


THE    DARKENING    MALL  37 

morsels  of  it,  by  which  means  we  managed  to 
exist  for  fourteen  days.  There,"  he  said,  finish- 
ing his  toothpick,  "that  will  serve.  'Tis  strange, 
is  it  not,  Master  Alpin,  what  a  piece  of  steel 
can  do  ?  "  And  then,  first  looking  at  its  point, 
he  laid  the  long  knife  carelessly  upon  the  shelf 
above  the  hearth.  "  Why,  in  Norway,  where  I 
have  also  been,  your  man  can  take  his  knife 
and  two  slips  of  wood  nine  ells  long,  and  he  will 
so  shape  the  wood  that  when  the  two  slips  are 
fitted  to  his  feet  he  can  outstrip  a  bird,  a  hound, 
or  a  deer." 

"  Does  he,  then,  fly  with  them  in  the  air,  as 
a  witch  on  her  broom  ?  "  asked  Allan  Redmain. 

"  Why,  no ;  he  skates  along  the  ice  or  snow," 
returned  Roderic.  "  With  such  instruments 
and  a  snowy  ground,  Master  Redmain,  you 
might  be  back  at  your  castle  of  Kilmory  in 
two  flickers  of  a  rush-light.  Go  you  to  Kilmory 
to-night  ? " 

"  Yes,"  said  Allan,  "  we  go  at  once,  for  now 
I  see  my  father  is  ready.  Give  you  good-night, 
my  lords." 

"  Good-night,  boy,"  said  the  three  guests. 
And  Allan,  with  his  father  and  Alpin,  then  left 
the  hall. 

Two  of  the  cruse-lamps  had  by  this  time 
spent  their  oil,  and  their  flames  had  died  out. 
Earl  Hamish  was  now  alone  with  his  guests. 

"  Shall  we,"  said  he, "  retire  to  the  smaller  hall, 


38  THE   THIRSTY    SWORD 

Roderic  ?  I  have  ordered  Duncan  to  take  some 
spiced  wine  there  for  us." 

"  I  like  the  odour  of  the  log-fire  here,"  said 
Roderic,  exchanging  glances  with  Erland  the 
Old.  "  I  pray  you  let  us  remain  here  a  while." 

Earl  Hamish  and  his  brother  stood  side  by 
side,  looking  into  the  fire,  while  Sweyn  the 
Silent  and  Erland  the  Old  sat  them  at  either 
corner  of  the  hearth.  The  two  brothers  were 
much  alike  in  stature,  both  being  tall  and  broad; 
but  Hamish  was  gentler,  and  his  every  move- 
ment showed  that  he  was  accustomed  to  the 
company  of  those  who  deemed  a  courtly  bear- 
ing of  more  account  than  mere  bodily  prowess, 
though  in  truth  he  lacked  not  that  either.  His 
hair  and  beard,  too,  were  dark,  touched  here  and 
there  with  the  frost  of  age ;  while  his  brother's 
long  hair  was  red  as  the  back  of  the  fox. 

"  Well,  Hamish,"  began  Roderic,  moving  un- 
easily on  his  feet,  "  you  have,  as  I  have  heard, 
won  your  way  into  the  good  graces  of  our  lord 
the  King?" 

"  I  trust,"  said  Hamish,  "  that  I  may  never  be 
accused  of  disloyalty.  I  am  ever  at  my  sover- 
eign's service  in  whatsoever  he  commands  me 
to  do." 

"What,  even  though  the  doing  of  that  ser- 
vice be  to  your  own  great  disadvantage  ?  "  said 
Roderic,  looking  aside  at  Earl  Sweyn  and  smil- 
ing grimly. 


THE    DARKENING    HALL  39 

"  Naught  can  be  to  my  disadvantage  that  is 
done  in  dutiful  service  of  my  country  and  King," 
answered  the  lord  of  Bute  proudly. 

Roderic  laughed  scornfully,  and  his  laugh 
was  echoed  by  Sweyn  and  Erland. 

"  There  may  be  two  thoughts  as  to  that,"  re- 
turned Roderic.  "As  for  myself,  I'd  snap  my 
fingers  in  the  King's  face  ere  I  would  go  on  a 
journey  such  as  you  have  newly  undertaken,  my 
brother.  Think  not  that  we  have  no  eyes  nor 
ears  in  the  outer  isles,  Earl  Hamish  ;  for  it  is 
known  in  every  castle  between  Cape  Wrath  and 
the  Mull  of  Kintyre  that  you  have  but  now 
returned  from  a  mission  to  King  Hakon  of 
Norway." 

"  And  what  though  it  were  yet  more  widely 
known  ? "  said  Hamish  in  surprise.  "  Am  I,  then, 
the  only  lord  in  all  the  isles  who  remains  true  to 
his  oaths  of  fealty  ?  And  are  they  all  as  you 
are,  Roderic,  who  have  failed  these  many  years 
to  pay  due  tribute  to  the  King  of  Scots  ?  " 

"  You  are  the  only  one  among  us,"  croaked 
Erland  the  Old,  "  who  pays  not  homage  to  our 
rightful  lord  and  sovereign  the  good  King 
Hakon." 

"  I  owe  no  sort  of  fealty  to  Norway,"  said 
Hamish.  "  Nor  do  I  know  by  what  right  Hakon 
claims  sovereignty  over  any  one  of  the  isles 
south  of  lona." 

"  Methinks,"  said  Sweyn  the  Silent,  looking 


4O  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

up  under  his  dark  brows,  "that  Harald  Fairhair 
settled  that  matter  a  good  four  hundred  years 
ago." 

"  Right  well  am  I  aware  that  at  such  time 
Harald  did  indeed  conquer  the  Western  Isles  — 
ay,  even  to  Bute  and  Arran  " —  returned  Earl 
Hamish.  "  But  methinks,  my  lord  of  Colonsay, 
that  my  own  ancestor  the  great  king  Somerled 
(God  rest  him !)  did  at  least  wrest  the  isles  of 
Bute,  Arran,  and  Gigha  from  the  power  of  Nor- 
way. Those  three  island  kingdoms  do  to  this 
day  owe  truage  to  no  overlord  saving  only  the 
King  of  Scots,  and  to  Alexander  alone  will  I 
pay  homage." 

At  that  Earl  Roderic's  eyes  found  their  way 
to  the  shelf  that  was  above  the  hearth,  and  his 
two  friends,  following  his  glance,  saw  the  knife 
upon  the  shelf  and  smiled.  From  the  halls 
below,  where  the  guards  and  servitors  were 
feasting,  came  the  strains  of  the  minstrel's  harp 
and  a  henchman's  joyous  song  of  triumphant 
battle. 

"  'Tis  then  no  marvel,"  said  Roderic,  "  that 
the  young  King  of  Scots,  like  his  father  before 
him,  has  made  of  you  a  willing  cat's-paw.  On 
what  fool's  errand  went  you  to  Norway  ?  " 

"  That,"  said  the  lord  of  Bute,  "  is  quickly 
told  ;  "  and  he  looked  round  for  a  moment,  ob- 
serving that  all  the  lamps  save  one  had  burned 
out  their  feeble  lights.  "  I  went  to  Norway, 


THE    DARKENING    HALL  4! 

bearing  letters  to  King  Hakon  from  the  King 
of  Scots  and  his  majesty  of  England,  King 
Henry  the  Third." 

"  His  majesty  of  England ! "  exclaimed  all 
three. 

"  Henry  of  England  is  no  more  a  friend  to 
the  Norseman  than  is  Alexander,"  said  Hamish, 
as  he  pressed  down  the  burning  logs  with  his 
foot.  "  And  I  do  assure  you,  my  lords,  that 
both  are  well  prepared  to  resist  the  incursions 
of  King  Hakon's  vassals." 

"  And  what  manner  of  princely  reward  got 
you  for  your  trouble  as  letter-bearer  ? "  asked 
Roderic  in  a  tone  of  injured  envy. 

"  Ten  score  head  of  Highland  cattle,  I  would 
guess,"  muttered  Erland  the  Old. 

"  Nay,  twenty  score,  rather,"  chimed  in  Sweyn 
the  Silent. 

"  Methinks,  brother  Hamish,"  said  Roderic 
hoarsely,  as  he  stepped  nearer  to  him  and 
looked  with  an  evil  scowl  into  his  face  —  "  me- 
thinks  it  had  been  your  part  to  have  sent  me 
word,  that  I  might  also  have  been  of  that  jour- 
ney. It  had  been  but  reason  that  I  had  the 
honour  as  well  as  you.  Selfish  man  that  you 
are,  you  are  ever  ready  to  win  worship  from  me 
and  put  me  to  dishonour  ! " 

At  this  moment  the  last  remaining  cruse- 
light  flickered,  burned  blue,  flickered  again, 
and  then  went  out.  The  hall  was  now  in  dark- 


42  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

ness,  saving  only  for  the  feeble  light  of  the  fire, 
and  the  moonbeams  that  slanted  in  through 
the  mullioned  windows  and  shone  here  and 
there  upon  some  burnished  helmet  or  corselet 
upon  the  walls. 

As  Roderic  of  Gigha  ceased  speaking,  Erland 
the  Old  coughed  thrice  and  stroked  his  silvery 
beard.  Sweyn  the  Silent  echoed  the  fatal  sign, 
and  Roderic  drew  back,  resting  his  right  hand 
upon  the  mantel. 

"  Had  I  tarried  till  I  had  sent  for  you,  Roderic," 
said  Earl  Hamish,  "  I  must  first  have  wasted 
much  precious  time  in  suing  with  King  Alex- 
ander for  his  pardon  for  my  brother  who  has 
betrayed  him ! " 

"  You  lie  !  base  slanderer !  you  lie !  "  cried 
Roderic  in  jealous  fury,  snatching  the  knife 
from  off  the  shelf.  And  then,  springing  forward 
and  raising  his  right  hand  above  his  head,  he 
plunged  the  blade  deep,  deep  into  his  brother's 
heart.  The  good  Earl  Hamish  staggered  and 
fell. 

"Treachery! "he  groaned.  "Adela!  Adela!" 
and  with  the  name  of  his  loved  wife  upon  his 
lips,  he  died  there  upon  the  stone  of  his  own 
hearth. 

Roderic  and  his  two  companions  approached 
the  dead  man,  gazed  upon  him,  and  then  at 
each  other  with  satisfaction  in  their  dark  looks. 
But  there  was  fear,  too,  in  Roderic's  face,  for 


A  TERRIBLE    DISCOVERY  43 

he  was  craven  of  heart.  He  drew  back  into 
the  shadow,  where  neither  moonbeam  nor  fire- 
light could  fall  upon  him  and  reveal  him. 

And  all  the  while  the  henchman's  song  of 
triumph  reached  their  ears  from  the  halls  below. 


CHAPTER   V 

A    TERRIBLE    DISCOVERY 

KENRIC  tarried  not  long  in  search  of  the 
ghostly  figure  that  had  appeared  before 
him  so  mysteriously  in  the  dark  forest  of  Barone. 
Whence  that  figure  had  come  and  whither  it 
had  gone  he  could  not  tell.  Nor  did  he  exer- 
cise his  mind  in  fruitless  questionings  concern- 
ing her.  Leaving  the  rock  behind  him,  he  set 
off  at  a  brisk  pace  through  the  shadows  of  the 
trees,  more  timid  than  ever,  and  came  out  upon 
the  high  ground  that  is  behind  Rothesay  Bay. 
Down  by  the  water's  brink,  outlined  against 
the  moonlit  waves,  stood  the  dark  towers  of 
Rothesay  Castle.  A  light  shone  dimly  in  his 
mother's  chamber  window ;  but  the  great  ban- 
queting-hall  wherein  his  father  was  wont  to 
entertain  his  guests  was  dark,  and  Kenric 
thought  this  passing  strange.  Where  were 
the  strangers  of  whom  he  had  heard  ?  If  they 


44  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

were  not  in  the  banqueting-hall,  then  they  must 
surely  have  already  left  the  island. 

Hastening  down  the  hillside,  he  hied  him  to 
the  castle,  and  as  he  neared  the  little  postern  in 
the  western  walls,  a  burst  of  boisterous  song 
reached  his  ears  from  the  guard-room.  Taking 
up  a  stone  from  the  ground  he  was  about  to 
knock  three  loud  knocks,  when  the  door  was 
opened  from  within,  and  a  tall  man  with  a 
thick  plaid  over  his  broad  shoulders  slipped 
out,  almost  overthrowing  Kenric  as  he  ran 
against  him. 

"  Duncan  !  "  exclaimed  Kenric,  perceiving 
his  father's  seneschal,  "  whither  go  you  at  this 
late  hour  of  night  ? " 

"  Ah,  Master  Kenric,  and  that  is  yourself,  eh  ? 
And  you  are  here,  and  not  at  the  abbey  of  St. 
Blane's  ?  Well,  sir,  it's  a  bonnie  night,  you 
see,  and  I  even  thought  I  would  take  a  quiet 
saunter  along  the  side  of  Loch  Fad." 

"  Then,"  said  Kenric,  "  I  warn  you,  go  not 
near  to  the  forest  of  Barone,  Duncan ;  for  I 
have  but  now  come  through,  and  therein  I  saw 
a  sight  that  would  raise  your  hair  on  end.  It 
was,  as  I  believe,  none  other  than  the  werewolf 
that  I  saw.  First  there  was  an  old  gray  wolf 
with  a  white  patch  on  its  breast,  and  then,  even 
as  I  looked,  that  wolf  was  spirited  into  the  form 
of  a  fair  lady,  and  I  was  like  to  sink  into  the 
ground  with  fear." 


A   TERRIBLE    DISCOVERY  45 

"  'Tis  the  first  time  that  I  have  heard  of  a  son 
of  the  house  of  Rothesay  knowing  fear,"  said 
Duncan,  smiling  and  showing  his  great  yellow 
teeth  in  the  moonlight.  "  'Twas  but  the  maid 
Aasta  of  Kilmory  that  you  saw." 

"Aasta  ?  Then  it  is  true  that  the  maid  has 
been  bewitched  ?  It  is  true  that  she  has  that 
power  of  turning  herself  at  will  into  the  form 
of  a  wolf?" 

"  Men  say  so,"  answered  Duncan.  "  But  me- 
thinks  'tis  no  more  true  than  that  other  thing 
they  say  of  her  —  that  though  she  looks  but  a 
girl  of  eighteen,  she  is  yet  full  fivescore  win- 
ters old.  'Tis  idle  talk,  Kenric.  But  where  saw 
you  this  sight  ?  Was  it  not  by  the  Rock  of 
Solitude,  in  the  heart  of  the  forest  ?  " 

"  'Twas  even  there.  But  in  an  instant  she 
disappeared,  and  I  saw  her  no  more." 

"  If  she  be  not  there  now,"  said  Duncan,  heav- 
ing a  great  sigh  out  of  his  deep  chest,  "  then 
will  I  return  into  the  castle ;  for  now  do  I  mind 
me  that  mine  eyes  are  wanting  sleep  after  the 
weary  day  that  I  have  had  among  the  hills,  run- 
ning high  and  low  as  though  I  were  but  a  dumb 
hound  made  only  to  scent  out  game  for  those 
who  know  less  of  hunting  than  I  do  of  building  a 
ship.  That  lazy  old  gray-beard,  the  lord  of  Jura, 
may  bring  his  own  gillies  with  him  the  next 
time  he  comes  to  the  hunting  in  Bute.  Never 
again  shall  he  get  me  to  fetch  and  carry  for  him ! " 


46  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

"  The  lord  of  Jura  ? "  said  Kenric.  "  It  is  then 
true  that  there  are  strangers  in  the  castle." 

"  And  is  it  not  for  that  same  cause  that  you 
have  come  home  ? "  asked  Duncan.  "  Me- 
thought  you  knew  that  they  were  here  —  three 
gallant  kings  out  of  the  west  they  are,  and  one 
of  them  is  your  own  uncle,  Earl  Roderic  of 
Gigha,  whom,  when  he  was  but  a  bairn  as  high 
as  my  girdle,  I  taught  to  bend  the  bow  and  wield 
the  broadsword.  They  are  but  now  in  the  feast- 
ing-hall  with  my  lord  your  father;  for  Sir  Oscar 
and  young  Allan  have  gone  home  to  Kilmory, 
and  my  lady  and  Alpin  have  gone  to  their 
chambers." 

"  Have  you  then  left  my  father  alone  with 
these  three  strange  men  ? "  asked  Kenric  as 
they  entered  the  postern. 

"  My  lord's  own  brother,  Earl  Roderic,  is 
with  him,"  said  Duncan,  looking  at  Kenric  in 
surprise.  "  You  would  not  surely  have  me 
mount  guard  over  my  lord's  own  guests !  By 
the  rood,  that  were  strange  hospitality !  " 

"  Where  are  their  dirks  and  swords  ?  " 

"  Under  my  own  keeping  in  the  armoury, 
where  'tis  right  they  should  be  ;  for  men  of 
peace,  as  these  most  surely  are,  encumber  not 
themselves  with  the  instruments  of  war." 

"  'Tis  well,"  returned  Kenric,  much  relieved. 
"  Old  Elspeth  Blackfell  was  but  playing  me 
with  her  groundless  forewarnings  of  danger. 


A   TERRIBLE    DISCOVERY  47 

Well,  get  me  some  meat  and  a  bowl  of  milk, 
Duncan,  while  I  go  up  and  see  this  uncle  of 
mine.  He  has  seen  much  of  the  world,  and 
methinks  his  discourse  must  be  full  of  instruc- 
tion for  a  home-keeping  youth." 

So  Duncan  went  into  the  guard-room,  where 
two  score  of  noisy  retainers  were  making  merry 
over  their  cups,  and  Kenric  went  upstairs  to 
the  great  hall. 

Up  the  steep  stone  steps  he  climbed,  making 
little  noise  with  his  deerskin  buskins.  Hear- 
ing footsteps  at  the  head  of  the  stairs,  he 
glanced  along  the  north  corridor,  whose  lancet 
windows  looked  out  upon  the  quiet  sea.  Sud- 
denly in  the  midst  of  the  moonbeams  that 
streamed  in  through  the  western  window,  light- 
ing the  corridor  with  a  clear  silvery  light,  he 
saw  three  men  steal  out  of  the  banqueting-hall. 
The  last  of  the  three  moaned  grievously  as  they 
passed  beyond  into  another  apartment. 

"  Oh,  Hamish,  Hamish  my  brother ! "  he 
moaned,  and  his  voice  was  as  the  wailing  of 
the  wind,  "  what  is  this  evil  thing  that  I  have 
done ! " 

Kenric  drew  back  into  the  shadow  of  the 
stairway,  and  not  seeing  his  father  with  the 
three  guests,  he  began  again  to  fear  some  ill. 

"  What ! "  croaked  the  old  man  with  the 
silvery  beard,  "  and  is  this  your  resolution  ? 
Where  is  your  courage  ?  I  fear  me,  Roderic, 


48  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

you  are  but  a  weak  craven  thus  to  deplore  the 
fulfilment  of  our  most  righteous  mission !  " 

Then  the  door  of  the  smaller  hall  closed  be- 
hind the  three  earls,  and  Kenric  was  left  alone. 
He  still  heard  the  rumour  of  their  voices  as  he 
walked  with-  quick  steps  along  the  moonlit  cor- 
ridor, and  he  paused  to  listen  at  the  door. 

"And  now  that  we  have  done  so  completely 
with  the  fox,"  said  a  voice,  "  what  say  you, 
comrades,  to  our  making  equal  despatch  with 
the  vixen  and  her  cub  ?  'Twere  easy  doing, 
could  we  but  discover  in  what  corner  we  might 
entrap  them." 

Kenric  did  not  understand  the  purport  of 
these  words.  He  did  not  guess  that  the  "fox" 
meant  his  own  father,  and  the  "  vixen  and  her 
cub  "  his  mother  and  Alpin.  But  he  listened 
yet  again. 

"  Wait,  wait,  my  lord  of  Jura,"  said  another 
voice.  "  'Twere  better  we  tarried  until  all  the 
watch-dogs  are  sound  asleep.  Fill  me  yon 
drinking-horn,  Sweyn,  for  my  hand  trembles, 
and  my  mind  is  strangely  cloudy." 

Silence  followed  this  speech,  and  Kenric 
crept  along  the  corridor  until  he  came  to  the 
entrance  of  the  great  hall.  He  drew  aside  the 
arras  hangings  and  peered  into  the  deserted 
room.  All  was  silent  as  the  grave.  The  crack- 
ling embers  of  the  fire  gave  but  a  sorry  light, 
with  only  a  fitful  glimmer  that  rose  now  and 


A  TERRIBLE    DISCOVERY  49 

again  from  some  half-exhausted  pine  log.  But 
with  the  feeble  moonbeams,  that  shone  through 
the  thin  films  of  skin  that  in  those  days  did 
service  for  glass,  there  was  still  light  enough  in 
that  vast  room  to  show  what  terrible  deed  had 
been  enacted  upon  that  hearth-stone. 

Kenric  had  taken  but  a  few  strides  into  the 
hall  when  his  eyes  rested  upon  the  form  of  his 
murdered  father.  He  started  back  aghast  at 
the  horrible  sight. 

"  Oh,  my  father,  my  father! "  he  cried,  flinging 
himself  down  upon  the  blood-stained  floor. 
"Father?  father?  It  is  I,  Kenric — your  son. 
Tell  me,  I  beseech  you,  tell  me,  what  foul  villain 
has  done  this  thing  ?  " 

Then  he  took  hold  of  the  earl's  cold  right 
hand  and  chafed  it  tenderly,  as  he  still  tried  to 
arouse  him.  But  there  was  no  response.  He 
knelt  down  closer  and  bent  his  head  to  his 
father's  bare  throat,  and,  putting  out  his  tongue, 
he  felt  with  its  sensitive  touch  if  there  was  sign 
of  breathing,  or  if  the  pulses  were  beating  in  the 
veins.  As  he  rested  his  hand  on  the  dead  earl's 
chest  he  touched  the  haft  of  the  weapon  that 
had  worked  this  cruel  deed.  He  knew  the  knife 
and  guessed  how  all  had  happened.  He  grasped 
the  handle  in  his  fingers  and  tried  to  with- 
draw the  long  blade ;  but  the  blood  gushed  out 
from  the  terrible  wound,  and  the  lad  grew  faint 
at  the  sight. 


5<D  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

"  Dead !  dead  !  "  he  moaned,  rising  to  his  feet, 
and  then  from  the  halls  below  came  the  shouts 
of  the  retainers  as  they  pledged  "  waes  hael "  to 
the  lord  of  Bute. 

Kenric  hastened  out  of  the  hall  and  crept 
down  the  stairs  to  summon  the  guard  and 
station  them  in  the  corridor,  that  none  of  the 
three  traitorous  guests  might  escape. 

He  met  Duncan  the  seneschal  at  the  foot  of 
the  stairs  carrying  the  food  that  he  had  ordered, 
and  by  the  light  of  a  lamp  in  the  lower  passage 
Duncan  saw  the  lad's  pale  and  terrified  face. 

"  God  assoil  me !  "  cried  Duncan,  "  what  has 
happened  ? " 

"  A  terrible  thing,  Duncan.  My  dear  father 
has  been  brutally  slain  under  his  own  roof- 
tree." 

"  Slain !  My  lord,  the  Earl  Hamish  slain  ? 
Nay,  boy,  it  cannot  be ! " 

"  Alas,  'tis  true !  One  of  those  miscreant 
traitors  who  came  hither  to-day  has  plunged  a 
knife  into  my  father's  heart.  Take  back  the 
food.  I  will  neither  eat  nor  sleep  again  until  I 
have  discovered  the  villain  who  has  done  this 
foul  crime.  Turn  out  the  guard  this  instant. 
Station  them  without  the  door  of  the  room 
wherein  those  three  wicked  men  are  now  carous- 
ing. And  now  to  call  my  brother  Alpin." 

Kenric  went  softly  to  his  brother's  room, 
which  was  next  to  the  chamber  of  the  Lady 


A   TERRIBLE    DISCOVERY  51 

Adela,  and  he  knocked  gently  at  the  door. 
Alpin  was  sound  asleep  upon  his  couch,  for  his 
day's  hunting  had  weaned  his  limbs.  Kenric 
went  within  and  awoke  him. 

In  the  darkness  Alpin  did  not  see  his  brother's 
pallid  face,  and  he  turned  over  with  many 
complaints  at  being  so  roughly  disturbed. 

"  Nay,  Alpin,  'tis  for  no  light  cause  that  I 
disturb  you,"  urged  Kenric.  And  hearing  his 
husky,  trembling  voice,  Alpin  roused  himself 
with  sudden  terror. 

"  What  brings  you  back  to  the  castle  ?  "  he 
cried;  "and  wherefore  do  you  call  me  at  this 
late  hour  ?  n 

"  It  is  that  our  father  has  been  entertaining 
enemies  unawares,"  said  Kenric.  "  Entering 
the  hall  but  a  few  moments  ago  I  found  him 
lying  dead  upon  the  hearth  with  a  cruel  knife  in 
his  heart." 

Alpin  gave  a  piercing  cry  of  sudden  grief  and 
sprang  up  from  his  bed. 

"  No,  no,  it  cannot  be !  "  he  exclaimed,  re- 
covering himself  as  he  threw  on  some  clothing. 
"  You  have  made  some  strange  mistake.  These 
friends  could  not  have  harmed  our  father. 
They  were  not  armed.  And  what  could  our 
uncle  Roderic  gain  by  such  treachery  ?  " 

Kenric  drew  his  brother  out  into  one  of  the 
dark  passages,  not  observing  that  their  mother's 
chamber  door  had  opened  and  that  the  Lady 


52  THE   THIRSTY    SWORD 

Adela,  roused  from  her  slumber  by  Alpin's  cry 
of  grief,  had  taken  the  alarm  and  was  preparing 
to  follow. 

"Alas,  he  has  but  too  much  to  gain,"  said 
Kenric.  "  Had  he  been  left  to  carry  out  his 
base  plot  to  the  end,  you  and  I,  Alpin,  must 
surely  have  fallen  as  our  father  has  fallen  - 
victims  to  Earl  Roderic's  ambition  to  make 
himself  lord  over  Bute." 

"  If  this  be  so,"  returned  Alpin,  raising  his 
voice  in  wrath,  "  then  with  my  own  hands  will 
I  take  a  deadly  vengeance.  I  swear  it  now, 
Kenric  —  by  our  holy  faith  I  swear  that  if 
Roderic  of  Gigha  has  indeed  slain  our  father, 
then  Roderic  shall  die  by  my  hand  !  " 

"  Will  such  vengeance  give  back  the  life  that 
has  been  taken  ? "  asked  Kenric  solemnly. 
"  Will  vengeance  restore  to  our  dear  mother  the 
happiness  that  she  now  has  lost  ?  Methinks  it 
had  been  wiser  in  you,  Alpin,  to  have  stayed 
by  our  father's  side  instead  of  slinking  off  to 
your  bed  and  leaving  him  thus  exposed  to  dan- 
ger. Come,  let  us  arm  ourselves  and  confront 
these  evil  men ;  that  we  may  learn  which  one  of 
them  has  dealt  this  fatal  blow." 

"  With  what  weapon,  say  you,  was  my  father 
slain  ? "  asked  Alpin,  as,  being  now  in  the 
armoury,  they  proceeded  to  don  their  coats  of 
chain-mail. 

"  With   the  great  knife  wherewith  he   was 


A  TERRIBLE    DISCOVERY  53 

wont  to  carve  the  venison  and  meat,"  said 
Kenric,  taking  down  a  sword. 

"  Ah  !  "  cried  Alpin  with  swift  recollection, 
"  now  do  I  perceive  the  reason  wherefore  Earl 
Roderic  took  that  same  knife  from  off  the  board 
and  placed  it  so  cunningly  above  the  hearth. 
Oh,  villain  that  he  is !  He  designed  even  then 
to  do  as  he  has  done.  Now,"  he  added,  snatch- 
ing up  a  great  two-handed  sword,  "  I  am  ready. 
Let  me  but  meet  him  —  let  me  but  face  him 
for  a  moment,  and  I  will  slay  him  like  a  dog." 

"  Think  well  ere  you  strike  the  blow  you 
contemplate,"  said  Kenric  as  they  ascended  a 
side  stairway  that  led  to  the  upper  floors  of 
the  castle.  "  Remember  that  you  are  now  the 
rightful  lord  over  Bute,  and  that  you  will  have 
power  to  inflict  due  punishment  upon  this  man 
without  taking  a  personal  vengeance  that  would 
surely  lead  to  an  endless  blood-feud." 

"  Tush  !  You  are  but  a  timid  boy,  Kenric. 
What  priestly  precepts  has  the  old  Abbot 
Thurstan  been  cramming  you  with  ?  Would 
you  pardon  the  man  who  has  slain  our  own 
father  ?  " 

"  Pardon  him  ?  "  exclaimed  Kenric.  "  No, 
never  will  I  do  that.  If  you  slay  him  not, 
Alpin,  then,  by  the  holy  rood,  I  myself  will  do 
so.  But  it  shall  be  in  fair  fight  that  I  will 
overcome  him,  and  by  no  mean  subterfuge." 

The  two  lads  were  now  at  the  entrance  of 


54  THE   THIRSTY    SWORD 

the  larger  hall,  wherein  the  good  Earl  Hamish 
lay  dead.  Alpin  went  within,  and  there,  bend- 
ing over  his  father's  body,  he  was  overwhelmed 
by  his  grief.  He  staggered  to  a  seat  and  sat 
down  with  his  head  in  his  hands,  weeping  pit- 
eously. 

Kenric  heard  loud  voices  in  the  corridor,  and 
grasping  his  sword  he  hastened  to  where  the 
guards  were  stationed.  Duncan  Graham,  of 
the  long  arm,  was  holding  parley  with  the  three 
earls  within  the  smaller  hall.  His  broad  frame 
filled  up  the  half-open  doorway,  so  that  the 
presence  of  the  armed  guard  was  not  yet  known 
to  Roderic  and  his  two  companions. 

"  More  wine  it  may  be  you  can  have,"  said 
Duncan ;  "  but  as  to  bringing  you  your  swords, 
that  I  cannot  do  without  orders  from  my 
master." 

"  I  am  now  your  master !  "  said  the  gruff  voice 
of  Roderic  of  Gigha ;  "  and  again  I  command 
you  to  bring  us  our  swords  and  dirks." 

"  You  are  no  master  of  mine,  Earl  Roderic," 
said  Duncan  ;  "  and  now  for  your  insolence 
shall  you  have  neither  wine  nor  weapons,"  and 
with  that  he  slammed  to  the  door. 

"  Insolent  varlet ! "  growled  Roderic  within 
the  room. 

"  Nay,  calm  yourself,  good  Roderic,"  said  the 
voice  of  Erland  the  Old ;  "  we  had  better  have 
tarried  till  daylight.  It  may  be  that  they  have 


ALPINS    VOW    OF   VENGEANCE  55 

already  discovered  what  you  have  done.  Truly 
you  were  an  arrant  simpleton  to  leave  the 
weapon  in  your  brother's  breast.  'Twould 
have  served  our  further  purpose  well." 

Kenric  heard  these  last  words,  and  though 
they  were  spoken  in  the  Danish,  yet  full  well 
did  he  understand  that  the  further  purpose  of 
Earl  Roderic  was  indeed  the  slaying  of  the 
Lady  Adela  and  Alpin. 

Assured  that  the  three  miscreants  were  un- 
armed, he  drew  Duncan  aside  and  whispered 
his  commands,  which  were  that  four  of  the 
guards  should  follow  him  into  the  room  and 
make  prisoners  of  the  three  island  kings. 
Thereupon  Duncan  went  back  to  the  door  and 
forced  it  open,  and  Kenric,  with  buckler  on 
arm  and  sword  in  hand,  marched  in,  and  stand- 
ing firmly  upright  faced  the  three  men  de- 
fiantly. 

"  Which  man  of  you  is  Earl  Roderic  of 
Gigha  ?  "  said  he. 


CHAPTER   VI 

ALPIN'S  vow  OF  VENGEANCE 

CRLAND  THE  OLD,  with  an  empty 
L'  drinking-horn  in  his  bony  hand,  sat  by  the 
hearth  looking  vacantly  into  the  dead  embers 


56  THE   THIRSTY   SWORD 

of  the  fire.  Sweyn  the  Silent  stood  beside  him 
with  his  thumbs  stuck  in  his  leathern  girdle ; 
while  Roderic  of  Gigha  sat  upon  the  table 
facing  the  door  and  swinging  his  legs  to  and  fro. 
The  light  of  a  hanging  cruse-lamp  shone  upon 
his  long  red  hair  and  beard.  His  strong  bare 
arms  were  folded,  one  within  the  other,  across 
his  broad  chest,  and  the  back  of  his  right  hand 
was  splashed  with  blood  that  had  been  partly 
wiped  off  upon  his  under  jerkin. 

"  Which  man  of  you  is  Earl  Roderic  of 
Gigha  ?  "  repeated  Kenric. 

The  three  looked  one  to  the  other  with  evil 
smiles.  Roderic  drank  off  what  remained  in 
his  wine-cup. 

"  I  am  he,"  he  said  coolly  as  he  again  folded 
his  arms.  "  And  who,  then,  are  you  who  de- 
mand to  know  ?  " 

"  Then  if  you  be  he,"  said  Kenric,  "  you  are 
the  vilest  man  that  ever  breathed  within  these 
walls.  Oh,  Roderic  MacAlpin,  unworthy  son 
of  a  noble  and  good  prince,  you  have  brought 
the  guilt  of  blood  upon  your  father's  name  ! 
You  have  slain  your  own  brother,  our  dear  lord 
and  master;  you  have  shed  his  life's  blood 
within  his  own  hall.  Deceitful  traitor  that  you 
are,  you  came  to  this  peaceful  island  in  the 
semblance  of  a  friend.  But,  by  all  that  I  hold 
sacred,  you  shall  not  leave  it  again  ere  you 
have  been  duly  judged  for  your  foul  crime." 


ALPIN  S    VOW    OF   VENGEANCE  57 

A  burst  of  mocking  laughter  from  Roderic. 
greeted  this  speech. 

"  And  now,"  added  Kenric,  turning  to  the 
guard,  "  take  me  this  man  as  prisoner  to  the 
deepest  dungeon.  For  though  he  were  King 
Hakon  himself  he  should  not  longer  remain  as 
a  guest  in  the  castle  whose  shelter  he  has 
abused." 

"  Let  one  of  those  varlets  but  touch  me  with 
his  hand,"  said  Roderic,  "and  I  will  break  his 
back  across  my  knee.  And  you,  who  are  you, 
my  young  knave,  that  dares  to  threaten  his 
betters  ?  By  St.  Olaf,  but  you  are  passing  bold 
to  speak  of  prisoning  me  in  the  walls  wherein 
I  was  born.  Away  with  you  to  your  couch ; 
this  is  no  hour  for  bairns  to  be  awake."  Then 
turning  to  the  lord  of  Colonsay  he  said : 

"  Slip  you  out  behind  the  young  whelp, 
Sweyn,  and  bring  me  the  knife  you  wot  of. 
This  is  surely  the  stripling  of  whom  we  heard. 
He  barks  passing  well ;  let  us  see  if  he  can  bite. 
A  few  ells  of  cold  steel  will  speedily  settle  him, 
I  warrant  me." 

Earl  Sweyn  stepped  towards  the  door,  but 
one  of  the  men  of  Rothesay  bounded  forward 
and  caught  him  in  his  strong  arms,  struggled 
with  him  for  a  moment,  and  then  flung  him 
heavily  to  the  floor. 

Roderic,  seeing  this  and  waxing  wrathful, 
sprang  lightly  from  his  seat,  and  ere  Kenric 


58  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

could  well  understand  his  intention  he  had 
caught  hold  of  the  youth  and  gripped  him  by 
his  sword  hand.  He  wreathed  his  other  strong 
arm  round  the  lad's  lithe  body.  Long  he 
wrestled  with  him,  but  at  last  he  drew  him 
down  by  main  force  with  his  back  across  his 
thigh  and  his  right  hand  set  hard  at  his  throat. 
With  his  left  hand  he  again  gripped  Kenric's 
sword  hand  and  tried  to  wrest  the  weapon  from 
his  grasp.  But  Kenric's  wrist  was  of  mighty 
strength  and  he  held  with  a  grip  of  iron  to  the 
handle  of  his  sword.  Then  Roderic  dragged 
the  lad's  hand  forw"ard  and  got  it  between  his 
teeth,  that  by  biting  it  he  might  force  him  to 
loosen  his  hold  of  the  weapon.  And  now  Ken- 
ric  must  surely  have  been  overcome  had  not 
Duncan  of  the  long  arm  at  that  moment  come 
behind  Earl  Roderic  and  rushed  upon  him  and 
caught  him  up  in  his  arms.  With  all  the  force 
of  his  giant  strength  the  Highlander  lifted  the 
man  high  in  the  air  and  shook  him  fiercely. 
Kenric,  freeing  himself,  drew  back  to  the  door, 
and  he  saw  Duncan  fling  Earl  Roderic  upon 
the  table  and  grip  him  by  the  throat. 

"  Spare  him  !  "  cried  Kenric  as  the  seneschal 
drew  his  dirk. 

Then  Duncan,  thrusting  his  knife  in  his  gar- 
ter, turned  Roderic  over  with  his  face  down- 
ward, and  holding  him  there  with  his  bare  knee 
on  his  back,  he  took  off  his  great  plaid  and 


RODERIC    TRIES    TO    STRANGLE    KENRIC. 


ALPIN  S    VOW    OF   VENGEANCE  59 

twisting  it  ropewise  he  bound  the  earl's  arms 
tightly  together,  so  that  he  could  no  longer 
move  them. 

The  earl  of  Colonsay  had  already  been  pin- 
ioned in  like  manner.  But  Erland  the  Old, 
when  he  saw  Kenric  stand  free  and  unharmed, 
fearing  to  be  ill-treated,  rushed  out  into  the 
corridor.  There  he  was  met  by  Alpin,  who, 
with  drawn  sword,  was  about  to  kill  him.  His 
sword  was  raised  in  the  act  of  smiting  him 
when,  from  the  banqueting-hall  beyond,  there 
came  a  loud  and  plaintive  cry  that  echoed 
throughout  the  castle  like  the  cry  of  a  wounded 
eagle.  Alpin  lowered  his  weapon  and,  leaving 
old  Erland  to  be  arrested  by  the  guards,  he 
sped  towards  the  hall.  Kenric,  hearing  that 
scream,  followed  after  him. 

In  the  hall  they  found  their  mother.  A 
crowd  of  the  men  and  women  of  the  castle  were 
there  with  her,  holding  torches  and  lighted 
cruse-lamps  over  the  body  of  the  dead  lord  of 
Bute.  The  Lady  Adela  was  wringing  her 
hands  in  frantic  grief. 

"  Who  is  the  villain  that  hath  done  this  wicked 
thing  ?  "  she  cried  as  Alpin  and  Kenric  entered. 

"  Roderic,  earl  of  Gigha,"  answered  Kenric. 

"  Ah,  unhappy  hour  that  ever  brought  him 
within  these  walls !  Where  is  he  now  ?  " 

"  He  is  made  prisoner  with  his  two  compan- 
ions," said  Kenric. 


60  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

"Prisoner  —  not  slain  !  You  have  not  slain 
him  ?  Oh,  my  sons,  where  is  your  spirit  ?  Why 
have  you  let  him  live  thus  long?  And  you, 
Alpin,  wherefore  did  you  suffer  your  father  to 
be  left  alone  with  these  men  ?  " 

"  Alas,  my  mother,  was  it  possible  I  could 
foresee  this  crime  ?  "  said  Alpin.  "  Even  my 
poor  father  could  not  have  seen  treachery 
through  the  mask  of  his  brother's  friendship." 

"  There  has  been  some  quarrel,"  said  Dove- 
nald  the  bard.  "  Heard  you  aught  of  a  dispute 
between  them,  young  man  ?  " 

"  Methinks  there  is  little  need  to  seek  for 
a  cause  of  quarrel,"  said  Kenric.  "  Roderic  of 
Gigha  is  even  now  meditating  how  he  can  make 
himself  the  lord  over  Bute.  No  farther  shall 
he  go,  for  he  cannot  now  escape  the  penalty 
that  is  his  due." 

"  And  what  penalty  is  that  ? "  asked  the  Lady 
Adela. 

Kenric  turned  to  Dovenald  for  reply,  know- 
ing well  that  Dovenald  was  better  learned  than 
any  other  man  in  the  breast-laws  of  that  land. 

"  My  lady,"  said  Dovenald,  "  he  must  be 
judged  and  punished  for  his  crime  as  the  wise 
men  of  Bute  shall  direct.  Justice  will  be  done. 
Fear  not  for  that." 

"  Justice  ?  "  cried  she.  "  I  know  well  what 
justice  means  with  your  wise  men.  It  is  not 
the  worthless  fine  of  a  few  score  of  cattle  that 


ALPIN'S  vow  OF  VENGEANCE  61 

would  repay  me  for  the  loss  of  my  dear  husband. 
No,  no.  A  life  for  a  life.  Earl  Roderic  has 
cruelly  slain  our  good  and  noble  lord,  and  now 
I  demand  a  speedy  vengeance."  She  flung  her- 
self on  her  knees  before  her  son  Alpin.  "  Oh, 
my  sweet  son,"  she  cried,  clasping  his  two 
hands,  "  I  charge  you  upon  my  blessing,  and 
upon  the  high  nobility  you  inherit,  to  be  re- 
venged upon  this  traitor  for  his  crime,"  and 
thereupon  she  took  up  the  blood-stained  weapon 
and  forced  it  into  her  son's  hand. 

Alpin  started  back  and  grew  pale. 

"  Fair  mother,"  said  he,  "  what  may  this 
mean  ?  " 

"Take  this  fatal  knife,"  said  she,  "and  before 
the  blood  is  dry  upon  its  blade  drive  it  into  the 
murderer's  black  heart." 

Then  Alpin,  holding  the  knife,  raised  his 
mother  in  his  arms. 

"  Dear  mother,"  said  he,  "  you  have  given  me 
a  great  charge,  and  here  I  promise  you  I  shall 
be  avenged  upon  Earl  Roderic  ere  long,  and 
that  do  I  promise  to  God  and  to  you." 

"  Nay,  mother,"  appealed  Kenric,  stepping 
forward.  "  In  mercy  I  beg  you,  charge  not  my 
brother  with  so  terrible  a  mission.  Withdraw 
it,  I  beseech  you,  for  you  know  not  what  you 
do  in  thus  exposing  Alpin  to  both  danger  and 
dishonour.  For  if  he  take  vengeance  by  stealth, 
then  is  his  treachery  as  evil  as  that  of  the  mur- 


62  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

derer  whom  he  would  punish.  If  he  challenge 
this  man  to  mortal  combat,  then  most  surely 
he  will  be  slain,  for  Roderic,  as  I  have  seen, 
is  most  powerful  of  arm,  and  it  is  his  heart's 
desire  that  he  should  slay  my  brother,  whose 
death  he  has  already  planned.  If  you  would  in- 
deed have  this  man  die,  then  I  entreat  you  let 
me,  and  not  Alpin,  fulfil  your  behest.  Alpin 
is  now  our  rightful  king,  and  his  life  is  of  more 
value  than  mine." 

Now  while  Kenric  was  thus  speaking  his 
mother  remained  in  Alpin's  arms,  with  her  head 
upon  his  shoulder.  And  when  Alpin  drew 
away  his  arm  that  she  might  answer  Kenric 
face  to  face,  she  turned  not  round,  but  sank 
down  at  Alpin's  feet,  and  it  was  seen  that  she 
was  in  a  swoon. 

So  Alpin  carried  her  away  in  his  strong  arms 
to  her  chamber,  where  the  women  of  the  castle 
tended  her.  But  for  three  long  days  and  nights 
she  lay  on  her  couch  in  a  strange  sickness  that 
none  could  understand.  For  those  three  days 
she  was  unconscious,  speaking  never  a  word. 


THE    ARROW   OF   SUMMONS  63 

CHAPTER   VII 

THE    ARROW    OF    SUMMONS 

HOW  the  three  island  kings  fared  in  the  dark 
dungeons  of  the  castle  of  Rothesay  on 
that  fatal  night  need  not  be  told.  Earl  Roderic 
of  Gigha  had  doubtless  in  his  sea-rovings  slept 
on  many  a  less  easy  couch.  But  it  may  be  that 
in  those  dark  hours  of  solitude  his  mind  was 
more  disturbed  than  were  his  hardy  limbs.  He 
had  come  to  Bute  full  of  a  guilty  design,  by  the 
fulfilment  of  which  he  had  hoped  to  at  last  gain 
possession  of  the  rich  dominions  that  he  had 
coveted  for  twenty  years.  His  own  inheritance 
of  the  small  island  of  Gigha  was  not  enough  to 
satisfy  his  vaulting  ambition,  and  the  growing 
power  of  the  King  of  Norway,  who  was  year 
by  year  extending  his  territories  in  the  west 
of  Scotland,  offered  a  further  inducement  to 
Roderic,  who  believed  that  by  slaying  his  brother 
Hamish,  and  taking  his  place,  he  might  bring 
the  island  of  Bute  under  the  protection  of  the 
Norwegian  crown. 

His  design  was  clumsily  planned,  for  though 
subtle  as  a  fox,  Roderic  was  yet  an  ignorant 
man,  even  for  those  uncultured  times,  and  he 
had  failed  to  take  into  account  the  two  sons  of 


64  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

Earl  Hamish,  both  of  whom  stood  between 
him  and  the  coveted  earldom,  and  who  now 
appeared  to  him  as  an  obstacle  not  easy  to 
overcome. 

But  for  the  unexpected  appearance  of  Kenric, 
however,  even  this  obstacle  in  his  path  might 
have  been  cleared,  for  he  had  planned  that  in 
the  darkness  and  quiet  of  the  night  he  would 
steal  into  the  sleeping  chamber  of  Alpin  and  so 
deal  with  him  that  he  would  never  again  waken 
to  claim  his  dead  father's  lands.  Roderic  had 
learned  from  the  Lady  Adela  that  her  younger 
son,  Kenric,  was  but  a  boy  of  sixteen,  living 
with  the  learned  abbot  of  St.  Blane's,  and  to 
the  wicked  earl  of  Gigha  it  seemed  that  Kenric 
might  be  disposed  of  by  very  simple  means. 

But  now,  even  after  having  slain  his  brother, 
he  had  failed  in  his  object.  Instead  of  being 
king  in  Bute,  he 'was  a  prisoner  in  the  deepest 
dungeon  of  Rothesay  Castle. 

The  moor-fowl  had  scarcely  shaken  the  dew 
from  off  their  wings  ere  the  two  sons  of  the 
dead  Earl  Hamish  were  climbing  the  heathery 
heights  behind  Rothesay.  With  them  went  the 
aged  Dovenald,  bearing  in  his  arms  a  young 
goat,  white  as  the  driven  snow.  When  they 
were  upon  the  topmost  knoll  they  stood  a  while. 
Dovenald  laid  down  the  bleating  kid,  whose 
little  feet  were  tethered  one  to  the  other,  and  he 
bade  the  two  youths  go  about  and  gather  some 


THE    ARROW    OF    SUMMONS  65 

dry  twigs  of  heather  and  gorse  that  a  fire  might 
be  made. 

A  soft  breeze  from  over  the  moorland  played 
with  the  silvery  locks  of  the  old  man's  bare  head. 
He  turned  his  face  to  the  east  and  looked  across 
the  gray  waters  of  the  Clyde,  where  above  the 
hills  of  Cunningham,  the  dawn  was  breaking 
into  day.  Southward  then  he  gazed  and  watched 
the  giant  mountains  of  Arran  that  were  half- 
shrouded  in  rosy  mists.  Very  soon  the  golden 
light  of  the  rising  sun  kissed  here  and  there  the 
jagged  peaks  of  Goatfell,  and  Dovenald  bent 
his  head  and  murmured  a  prayer,  calling  upon 
God  to  shed  His  light  into  the  hearts  of  men 
and  to  guide  them  in  the  solemn  work  they 
were  called  upon  to  fulfil  that  day.  Then  he 
turned  to  Alpin. 

"  Now  kindle  me  the  fire,"  he  said.  "  Here 
are  flint  and  steel.  And,  Kenric,  give  me  the 
arrow." 

He  took  the  arrow  in  his  hand  and  waited 
till  the  fire  was  well  alight.  With  the  arrow's 
point  he  stirred  the  flaming  twigs,  and  the  two 
youths  looked  on. 

"And  now  take  your  dirk,  Alpin,"  said  he, 
"  and  slay  me  the  kid.  Give  as  little  pain  as 
may  be,  for  it  is  not  well  that  the  innocent  thing 
should  suffer." 

Kenric  held  the  animal  while  his  brother 
drove  his  sharp  dirk  into  its  white  and  throbbing 


66  THE   THIRSTY    SWORD 

throat.  The  kid  turned  its  soft  blue  eyes  upon 
him  and  gave  a  plaintive  bleat.  Its  warm 
breath  rose  visible  in  the  morning  air  and  then 
died  away. 

"  'Tis  done !  "  said  Kenric,  and  Dovenald 
brought  the  burning  arrow  and  extinguished 
it  in  the  kid's  blood.  With  the  innocent  blood 
he  smeared  the  arrow's  shaft. 

"  Fly  now  as  speedily  as  your  feet  can  carry 
you  to  the  castle  of  Kilmory,"  said  the  old  man 
to  Alpin,  giving  him  the  arrow,  "  and  you  will 
give  this  burnt  arrow  into  the  hands  of  Sir 
Oscar  Redmain.  No  need  have  you  to  tell  him 
the  meaning  thereof.  It  is  a  summons  ordained 
by  ancient  custom,  and  well  known  to  all  the 
wise  men  of  Bute.  Sir  Oscar  will  despatch  it 
to  our  good  father  the  abbot  of  St.  Blane's. 
The  abbot  will  in  like  manner  send  it  to 
Ronald  Gray  of  Scoulag.  So,  in  turn,  will  it 
pass  round  to  each  of  the  twelve  wise  ruthmen, 
calling  them  one  and  all  to  hasten  to  the  Seat 
of  Law  on  the  great  plain  beside  Ascog  mere, 
that  they  may  there  in  solemn  assize  pronounce 
judgment  upon  the  traitor  who  hath  slain  our 
king.  Haste !  haste !  my  son.  Why  do  you 
tarry  ?  " 

"  Have  I  not  sworn  an  oath  on  my  mother's 
blessing  that  I  will  have  this  man  Roderic's  life  ? 
Why,  then,  should  this  assize  be  assembled  ? " 

"  Go,  do  my  bidding,  rash  boy,"  said  Dove- 


THE    ARROW    OF    SUMMONS  67 

nald  sternly.  "  Seek  not  to  oppose  the  customs 
of  your  ancestors,  and  let  not  your  thirst  for 
vengeance  now  blind  you  to  the  folly  of  violence. 
Go,  I  command  you;  and  believe  me  the  earl 
of  Gigha  shall  not  escape  just  retribution." 

Alpin,  then,  taking  the  arrow  in  his  right 
hand,  ran  off  at  a  brisk  pace  down  the  hill. 
Kenric  took  up  the  dead  kid  and  walked  at 
Dovenald's  side  towards  Rothesay. 

"  Rash,  rash  that  he  is,"  murmured  the  old 
man.  "  Much  do  I  fear  that  he  will  make  but 
a  sorry  king.  He  is  over  hasty,  and  his  judg- 
ment is  ofttimes  wrong.  He  will  not  rule  as  did 
his  father.  The  Lady  Adela  hath  spoiled  him 
with  her  caresses." 

"  You  are  over  hard  upon  my  brother,"  said 
Kenric.  "  There  lives  not  a  man  in  the  Western 
Isles  better  fitted  than  Alpin  for  the  great 
office  of  kingship.  He  is  just,  and  noble, 
and  trusty.  No  man  in  all  Bute  can  say  that 
he  ever  broke  a  promise  or  told  an  untruth. 
Think  you  that  because  he  is  hasty  with  his 
dirk  he  is  therefore  a  thoughtless  loon,  who 
knows  not  when  a  gentle  word  can  do  more 
service  than  a  blow  ?  When  did  he  ever  draw 
dirk  or  sword  without  just  cause  ?  You  do 
not  know  him  as  I  do,  Dovenald,  or  you  would 
not  breathe  a  word  in  his  dispraise.  And  if 
my  gentle  mother  loves  him  above  all  else  next 
to  my  father,  whom  she  has  now  lost,  who  shall 


68  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

% 

say  that  Alpin  is  not  deserving  of  her  great 
favour  ? " 

The  old  retainer  walked  on  in  silence.  Pres- 
ently he  turned  to  Kenric  and  said  : 

"  What  has  your  brother  done  with  the 
weapon  wherewith  my  lord  was  slain  ?  He 
tried  in  the  dead  of  night  to  gain  entrance  to 
the  traitor  Roderic  that  he  might  use  that  fatal 
knife  even  as  my  lady  so  weakly  charged  him 
to  do.  Where  is  it,  I  say  ?  " 

"  I  know  not,"  said  Kenric.  "  But  methinks 
'tis  a  pity  he  did  not  drive  it  into  the  villain's 
heart." 

"  My  son !  my  son !  let  me  not  hear  you 
utter  such  evil  thoughts  again.  It  ill  becomes 
a  pupil  of  our  holy  abbot  to  speak  thus.  And 
yesterday  you  were  disposed  to  leave  the  guilty 
earl  to  whatever  punishment  the  wise  men 
should  appoint." 

"  Reflection  has  changed  me,  Dovenald ;  and 
were  Roderic  before  me  at  this  moment  I  would 
willingly  lay  him  dead  at  my  feet.  Should 
Alpin  fail  to  slay  him,  then  will  I  fulfil  my 
revenge.  In  fair  fight  or  by  stealth  Roderic 
shall  surely  die." 

"Alas,  that  I  should  ever  hear  such  words 
from  one  so  young ! "  murmured  Dovenald. 
And  the  old  man  continued  his  complaints 
until  they  had  entered  the  castle  gates. 


AN   ERIACH-FINE  69 

CHAPTER   VIII 

AN    ERIACH-FINE 

T  TNDER  the  clear  sky  of  high  noon  the 
{-J  people  of  Bute  had  assembled  on  the  great 
plain  of  Laws,  at  the  margin  of  Loch  Ascog. 
They  had  come  from  all  parts  of  the  island,  for 
the  word  had  travelled  round  with  the  swift- 
ness of  a  bird's  flight  that  their  good  king,  Earl 
Hamish,  had  been  cruelly  slain  by  his  own 
brother,  and  all  were  eager  not  only  to  see  the 
man  who  had  done  this  treacherous  deed,  but 
also  to  hear  judgment  passed  upon  him  for  his 
crime. 

At  the  foot  of  the  great  standing-stone  Sir 
Oscar  Redmain,  as  steward  or  prefect  of  Bute, 
took  his  seat  as  judge.  Noble  and  comely  he 
looked,  holding  his  great  glittering  sword,  point 
upward,  waiting  for  the  prisoner  and  his  ac- 
cuser. At  his  right  stood  Godfrey  Thurstan, 
the  good  abbot  of  St.  Blane's,  with  his  cowl 
drawn  over  his  reverend  head  to  shield  him 
from  the  warm  sun.  At  his  left  Dovenald, 
most  learned  in  the  laws  of  the  land,  ready  to 
explain  and  discuss  the  ancient  legal  customs ; 
and  round  them  in  a  circle  were  the  others  of 
the  twelve  ruthmen.  The  witnesses  or  com- 


7O  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

purgators  stood  in  an  outer  ring  within  a  fenc- 
ing of  cords  running  from  stake  to  stake. 
Without  the  verge  of  the  sacred  circle  of  jus- 
tice were  gathered  a  great  crowd  of  islanders 
—  herdsmen  and  husbandmen,  tribesmen,  fish- 
ermen, and  thralls  —  who  had  left  their  labours 
on  hill  and  in  vale,  or  on  the  sea,  and  come 
hither  crying  out  loud  for  speedy  vengeance. 

Duncan  Graham  the  seneschal  and  his  guards 
of  the  castle  had  already  gone  amongst  these 
onlookers  to  see  that  no  man  carried  weapons, 
for  it  was  held  in  strict  custom  that  none  should 
bear  arms  or  make  disturbance  at  such  a  time 
on  pain  of  life  and  limb. 

These  hardy  islanders,  as  they  stood  in 
silence,  were  a  rugged  set  of  men,  with  sun- 
burnt faces  and  bushy  beards.  Many  of  them 
were  clothed  in  garments  of  sheep-skin,  others 
of  a  better  condition  wore  a  plaid  or  mantle  of 
frieze.  They  had  buskins  made  of  raw  hide, 
and  a  knitted  bonnet,  though  many  of  them 
wore  no  covering  for  their  heads  but  their  own 
shaggy  hair  tied  back  with  a  leathern  strap. 

The  assize  being  sworn  and  admitted  the 
abbot  stepped  forward  and  called  upon  the  God 
of  the  Christians  to  punish  the  peace-breaker. 
Then  the  crowd  opened  and  young  Alpin  came 
in,  stalwart,  handsome,  noble,  and  bowed  before 
the  judge. 

He  wore  a  mantle  of  tartan,  clasped  at  the 


AN    ERIACH-FINE  *JI 

shoulder  by  a  silver  buckle.  His  legs  were 
swathed  in  fine  cloth  and  cross-gartered  below 
the  bare  knees,  and  his  feet  were  encased  in 
brogues  with  silver  clasps.  His  long  hair  was 
well  combed,  and  it  hung  about  his  broad 
shoulders  in  dark  brown  locks.  A  deep  hum 
of  praise  rose  in  greeting  from  many  throats  as 
he  stood  in  the  light  of  the  noonday  sun. 

"  Hail  to  Earl  Alpin,  king  of  Bute ! "  cried  one. 

"  Long  life  to  the  king  !  "  cried  another,  and 
the  cries  were  taken  up  by  the  whole  assembly, 
dying  away  in  echoes  among  the  far-off  hills. 

Then  Alpin  raised  his  hand  and  asked  that 
the  chain  of  silence  should  be  shaken ;  and 
when  one  of  the  guards  had  shaken  the  rattling 
chains  and  all  were  listening  with  bated  breath 
he  took  up  and  made  his  plea,  demanding 
prompt  justice  on  the  slayer  of  his  father. 

"  And  whom  do  you  charge  with  this  foul 
crime  ? "  asked  Sir  Oscar  Redmain,  though 
indeed  none  needed  to  be  told. 

"  I  charge  Roderic  Mac  Alpin,  king  of  Gigha," 
said  Alpin,  and  at  that  there  was  a  great  yell 
of  execration. 

"  Down  with  the  traitor !  Death  to  him  !  " 
was  the  cry  as  the  crowd  opened.  And  Alpin 
turning  round  saw  Duncan  Graham  —  taller 
by  a  head  than  the  tallest  man  there  present  — 
leading  in  the  criminal,  followed  by  his  two 
companions  of  Colonsay  and  Jura. 


72  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

In  a  moment  Alpin  sprang  forward  at  his 
enemy.  He  raised  his  right  hand  and  all  saw 
that  he  held  the  blood-stained  knife. 

"  Die,  slayer  of  the  just !  "  he  cried,  bringing 
down  the  weapon  upon  Roderic's  breast. 

But  Roderic  of  Gigha  laughed  a  mocking 
laugh,  and  catching  Alpin  by  the  wrist  he  threw 
him  backward.  Duncan  Graham  broke  his  fall 
and  tore  the  weapon  from  his  grasp. 

"  Oh,  foolish  lad !  "  he  murmured,  "  to  attempt 
such  a  thing  within  the  very  fences  of  the 
court ! " 

"Alpin  of  Bute,"  said  the  judge  gravely  as  he 
rose  from  his  seat,  "  you  have  done  that  which 
no  other  man  in  this  land  might  do  without  the 
severest  punishment.  You  are  here  to  plead 
the  cause  of  justice,  and  not  to  insult  those 
whom  you  have  summoned  to  this  place  to  do 
justice  for  you.  Bear  yourself  discreetly,  or  re- 
sign your  cause  into  the  hands  of  those  who 
can  control  their  wrath." 

Alpin  scowled  as  he  again  took  his  place 
before  the  judge,  and  then  when  silence  had 
been  restored  he  proceeded  to  state  the  whole 
case  concerning  the  killing  of  his  father. 

By  his  side  stood  Kenric,  who  helped  him 
when  he  faltered  in  his  narrative.  The  two 
brothers  might  almost  have  been  mistaken  for 
master  and  serf,  so  much  did  their  appearance 
differ.  Kenric's  face  was  unwashed  and  streaked 


AN    ERIACH-FINE  73 

with  the  traces  of  tears.  His  brown  hair, 
lighter  than  Alpin's,  was  rough  and  tangled, 
and  now,  as  always,  he  wore  no  covering  on  his 
head.  His  coarse  buckskin  coat  looked  mean 
beside  the  richer  apparel  of  his  brother,  and 
his  buskins  were  ill-tied  and  his  kilt  was  dusty 
and  tattered.  The  elder  brother  was  taller  and 
more  lithe  of  body;  but  Kenric's  bare  arms  and 
legs  were  thick  and  strong,  and  despite  his 
coarse  clothing  he  bore  himself  no  less  nobly 
upright  than  did  Alpin. 

"  Roderic,  son  of  Alpin,  what  have  you  to 
say  in  defence  for  this  grave  crime  whereof  you 
are  accused  ?  "  asked  Sir  Oscar  Redmain  when 
Alpin  had  told  his  tale. 

The  two  lads  stepped  back  and  Roderic 
took  their  place.  His  long  golden  hair  as  the 
sunlight  fell  upon  it  shone  scarcely  less  bright 
than  the  well-wrought  dragon  that  twined  its 
scaled  form  upon  his  burnished  helm  of  brass. 
He  looked  towards  his  judge  with  bold  defiance 
in  his  blue  eyes. 

"  What  the  boy  says  is  true,"  said  he.  "  I 
slew  my  brother  Hamish.  I  slew  him  upon 
his  own  hearth-stone.  But  it  was  in  fair  fight 
that  I  did  it;  and  I  call  my  two  friends,  the 
lords  of  Jura  and  Colonsay,  to  bear  me  out  in 
the  truth  of  what  I  say." 

There  was  a  loud  howl  of  rage  from  the 
crowd  as  he  spoke  these  false  words,  and  no 


74  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

one  tried  to  stifle  those  outbursts  of  popular 
feeling. 

"  'Tis  a  lie  you  tell !  "  cried  Kenric  furiously 
as  he  pushed  his  brother  aside  and  confronted 
Earl  Roderic.  "You  say  it  was  in  fair  fight 
you  smote  my  father  his  death-blow.  Oh,  per- 
jured villain  !  Where,  then,  was  my  father's 
weapon  ?  Had  he  been  armed  with  a  knife 
such  as  the  one  you  used,  methinks  you  would 
not  now  be  here  to  utter  your  false  words. 
Your  own  arms  were  left  in  the  armoury  hall, 
where  'twas  right  they  should  be  ;  and  you  took 
up  the  knife  from  the  board,  knowing  full  well 
what  you  meant  to  do  with  it.  Oh,  Roderic 
MacAlpin,  may  your  tongue  shrivel  in  your 
throat  ere  you  utter  such  base  and  wicked  lies 
again !  You  came  to  this  island,  the  land  of 
your  fathers,  with  the  evil  purpose  of  climbing 
over  our  dead  bodies  to  the  kingship  that 
you  covet  —  " 

Roderic  bit  his  lips  with  rage  and  doubled 
his  great  fists  as  he  stepped  forward  to  smite 
young  Kenric  to  the  ground.  Kenric  drew 
back. 

"  I  know  it,"  continued  Kenric  with  full  and 
sonorous  voice  that  might  have  been  heard  at 
the  further  side  of  Ascog  mere.  "  I  know  your 
purpose,  Roderic  of  Gigha.  Think  you  that 
there  are  none  of  us  that  can  understand  the 
Norse  tongue  in  which  you  spake  to  your  two 


AN    ERIACH-FINE  75 

base  comrades  ?  /  know  that  tongue.  I  heard 
your  craven  moans  of  anguish  when  you  came 
out  from  that  darkened  hall  wherein  my  father 
lay  dead.  I  heard  you  tell  of  how  you  meant 
to  slay  the  vixen  and  her  cubs.  And  who  are 
they  ?  My  mother  and  Alpin  and  me !  My 
mother,  whom  you  flattered  with  soft  speeches 
—  my  mother,  in  whose  presence  you  were  not 
worthy  to  breathe,  and  whose  noble  heart  you 
have  now  broken  by  your  murderous  treachery. 
And  you  would  have  slain  her  as  you  slew  our 
father.  I  thank  the  great  God  who  stayed  your 
hand  from  fulfilling  such  devil's  work  to  the 
end.  May  He  punish  you  as  you  deserve  to  be 
punished  for  the  evil  you  have  done  ! " 

A  deep  silence  followed  upon  this  speech,  and 
then  a  thousand  lusty  voices  broke  out  in  a  pro- 
longed groan  of  imprecation.  But  Roderic  of 
Gigha  only  turned  to  Erland  the  Old  and 
smiled. 

Kenric  looked  to  the  crowd  that  stood  behind 
the  judge's  seat,  and  there  he  saw  Ailsa  Red- 
main  standing  with  her  brother  Allan ;  and 
Ailsa's  eyes  glistened  with  approval  of  what 
Kenric  had  just  spoken,  and  he  took  new  cour- 
age. 

"  Men  of  Bute,"  said  Sir  Oscar  Redmain,  turn- 
ing to  the  ruthmen,  "  ye  have  heard  what  has 
passed.  It  is  now  for  you  to  pronounce  judg- 
ment upon  the  accused  man.  What  say  you  ?  " 


76  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

"  That  Earl  Roderic  is  guilty  of  the  crime," 
said  Ronald  Gray,  their  spokesman,  "  and 
that  he  shall  pay  the  highest  penalty  that  our 
laws  can  impose." 

"  Then,"  said  Alpin,  "  I  claim  that  Roderic 
of  Gigha  shall  die  the  death." 

But  at  that  the  wise  men  shook  their  heads. 

"  In  the  time  of  my  father,  the  good  king 
Alpin,"  said  Roderic  with  a  voice  of  triumph, 
"  it  was  ordained,  as  all  of  you  must  surely 
know,  that  no  man  should  die  for  the  slaying  of 
his  enemy  unless  he  were  caught  red-handed 
and  with  the  weapon  in  his  hand  ;  but  that  for 
taking  the  life  of  a  man  in  hot  blood  he  should 
be  assoiled  or  cleansed  on  payment  of  the 
eriach-fine,  which  is  nine-score  of  kine,  to  the 
kin  of  his  victim.  And  I  ask  Dovenald  Dor- 
noch  if  this  be  not  so  ?  " 

At  this  Alpin  held  speech  with  Dovenald 
the  lawman,  and  his  face  grew  sullen  in  disap- 
pointment. 

"  Alas !  "  said  Alpin  to  Sir  Oscar,  "  what  Earl 
Roderic  hath  said  is  indeed  true ;  for  it  seems 
that  my  grandsire,  king  Alpin,  and  also  my 
father,  who  is  dead,  did  in  their  mercy  so  ordain 
that  crimes  of  violence  should  be  dealt  with  in 
such  manner  that  the  traitor  might  have  time 
in  which  to  repent  of  his  ill-deeds  and  commend 
himself  to  God.  But  for  the  slaying  of  a  king 
the  fine  is  not  nine-score,  but  six  times  nine- 


AN    ERIACH-FINE  77 

score  of  kine,  or  three  thousand  golden  oras. 
And  if  that  fine  be  not  paid  within  a  year  and 
a  day,  then  shall  the  traitor  die  the  death. 
And  now,  oh  men  of  Bute,  since  that  I  cannot 
see  this  man  die  —  as,  would  that  I  might!  — 
I  call  upon  him  for  the  due  payment  of  my 
eriach-fine.  And  moreover,  oh  judge,  you  and 
the  wise  men  of  Bute  whom  I  see  here  present 
are  guarantees  for  the  full  payment,  and  you 
shall  see  that  it  be  paid  within  a  year  and  a 
day." 

Now  this  was  far  from  being  what  Roderic 
wished,  for  well  he  knew  that  no  man  in  all  the 
Western  Isles  would  spare  him  if  he  failed  to 
pay  the  price  of  his  liberty.  But  also  he  knew 
that  neither  in  cattle  nor  in  other  movable 
wealth  was  it  in  his  power  to  pay  the  value  of 
a  thousand  head  of  cattle  in  so  short  a  time. 
So  he  up  and  told  this  to  Sir  Oscar  Redmain. 

"  I  cannot  pay  the  fine,"  he  said ;  "for  not  in 
all  my  lands  and  ships  do  I  possess  such  wealth 
nor  know  I  any  man  who  would  be  my  broch, 
or  bail." 

"  Then,"  said  Sir  Oscar,  "  if  that  be  so,  I  now 
pronounce  you  an  outlaw  in  the  Western  Isles 
and  in  Scotland,  and  our  sovereign  lord,  King 
Alexander,  shall  ratify  that  sentence  upon  you 
forthwith.  You  shall  be  an  outlaw  for  the  term 
of  three  years  and  three  days.  For  those  three 
days  you  shall  live  within  the  sanctuary  of 


78  THE   THIRSTY   SWORD 

Dunagoil  and  under  the  protection  of  the  good 
abbot  of  St.  Blane's.  On  the  third  day,  or  be- 
fore, you  shall  take  ship  and  depart  hence 
whithersoever  the  holy  abbot  shall  direct  you." 

Then  turned  Sir  Oscar  to  the  crowd. 

"  Men  of  Bute,"  said  he,  "  I  charge  you  all 
that  if  within  three  years  to  come  any  of  you 
shall  see  this  man  Roderic  MacAlpin  within 
the  isle  of  Bute,  or  within  his  forfeited  lands  of 
Gigha  and  Cara,  or  in  any  other  land  in  the 
dominions  of  the  King  of  Scots,  you  shall  put 
him  to  the  sword  and  slay  him." 

There  was  a  loud  cry  of  assent ;  and  Roderic, 
wrathful  at  his  position,  felt  at  his  side  for  his 
absent  sword. 

Here  again  were  his  plans  defeated.  The 
sentence  passed  upon  him  required  that  during 
his  three  days  of  grace  in  the  sanctuary  of  the 
church  lands  no  man  should  molest  him  or 
hold  speech  with  him.  How,  then,  could  he 
hope  to  compass  the  death  of  the  two  lads, 
Alpin  and  Kenric,  who  stood  in  the  way  of  his 
ambition  ?  Turning  his  eyes  with  fierce  malice 
upon  the  two  brothers  he  stepped  boldly  to  the 
front. 

"  There  is  yet  another  way  for  me,"  he  cried 
aloud.  "  Think  you  that  I,  a  king,  am  to  be 
hunted  about  by  a  set  of  wolves  like  these? 
No,  no.  Now,  on  this  spot  and  before  you  all, 
do  I  claim  wager  of  battle,  for  that  is  my  due. 


THE    ORDEAL    BY    BATTLE  79 

Let  any  man  of  you  stand  forth  and  meet  me 
in  fair  fight,  and  I  will  fight  him  to  the  death." 

Then  Duncan  Graham,  the  seneschal,  came 
forward  in  his  towering  height,  and  said  he : 

"  I  will  fight  you,  treacherous  earl,  for  you 
deserve  to  die  !  " 

"  You ! "  exclaimed  Roderic,  awed  at  the 
man's  giant  height.  "  Not  so.  An  earl  may 
hold  such  combat  with  none  but  his  equals. 
I  will  not  cross  swords  with  a  low-born  churl 
like  you.  Show  me  a  man  whose  blood  is 
worthier  of  my  steel/ 

"  Coward  !  "  cried  Duncan ;  "  you  are  afraid 
to  cross  arms  with  me.  I  would  slay  you  at  the 
first  passage." 

"  There  is  but  one  among  you  who  is  of  my 
own  rank,"  said  Roderic,  "  and  there  he  stands; " 
and  he  pointed  to  Alpin. 

"  And  I  am  ready,"  said  Alpin.  "  I  will 
engage  with  you  to  the  death.  And  God  defend 
the  right !  "  " 


CHAPTER   IX 

THE    ORDEAL    BY    BATTLE 

WHILE  Duncan  Graham  and  one  of  the 
guards  went  back  to  the  castle  of  Rothe- 
say  to  bring  the  swords  of  Alpin  and  Roderic, 


8O  THE   THIRSTY    SWORD 

Sir  Oscar  Redmain  pronounced  the  assize  at 
an  end ;  and  such  as  wished  not  to  witness  the 
deadly  combat  —  the  abbot  Godfrey  and  some 
few  women — went  away. 

Then  Roderic  stood  apart  with  Erland  the 
Old  and  Sweyn  the  Silent,  bidding  them  not 
wait  for  their  weapons,  but  to  slip  away  out  of 
the  crowd  and  get  them  to  their  ship,  and  so 
away  to  their  island  homes. 

"Our  project  has  so  far  failed,"  said  he;  "but 
be  assured  that  I  shall  yet  gain  the  lordship 
over  Bute.  They  have  made  me  an  outlaw, 
and  I  fear  me  that  Redmain  will  most  surely 
communicate  this  whole  matter  to  the  King  of 
Scots.  Well,  be  it  so ;  we  shall  see  what  Alex- 
ander can  do.  Methinks  it  will  not  be  long 
that  he  will  hold  his  own  against  us.  When 
these  three  years  of  my  outlawry  are  over 
you  shall  see  such  things  as  will  surprise  you. 
Farewell,  good  Erland,  and  you,  dear  Sweyn ! 
Hold  you  both  fast  by  King  Hakon.  That  is 
our  highest  game ;  and  so  we  serve  him  well 
there  is  no  fear  but  we  will  reap  a  good  harvest 
of  power." 

"  God  grant  it  may  be  so ! "  said  Erland ;  "for 
if  his  Majesty  of  Norway  fail  in  conquering  Scot- 
land, then  are  we  all  lost  men.  Farewell,  then ! " 

When  Sir  Oscar  Redmain  had  left  the  seat  of 
justice  his  daughter  Ailsa  crept  within  the  cir- 
cle of  the  court,  and  there  she  found  Kenric. 


THE    ORDEAL    BY    BATTLE  8 1 

"  As  I  came  hither,"  she  said,  "  I  saw  Elspeth 
Blackfell ;  and  she  bade  me  ask  you,  Kenric,  if 
what  she  spake  had  aught  of  sooth  in  it  ? " 

"  Ah,"  said  Kenric,  "  right  truly  did  she  tell 
what  was  to  befall.  For  even  as  it  was  with 
your  nest  of  ouzels,  Ailsa,  so  has  it  been  with 
the  castle  of  Rothesay.  This  man  Roderic, 
is  he  not  even  as  the  stoat  that  harried  the 
nest?" 

"  Even  so,"  said  Ailsa.  "  But  the  stoat  also 
slew  the  fledgling  as  well  as  the  parent  bird. 
Elspeth,  when  she  heard  that  the  good  Earl 
Hamish  had  been  so  cruelly  slain,  looked  grave, 
and,  said  she,  '  Hasten,  Ailsa,  to  the  sons  of 
Rothesay  and  bid  them  still  be  wary  of  this 
man.  Not  until  he  is  dead  will  all  danger  from 
him  be  past.'  Those  were  her  words,  Kenric ; 
and  lest  there  should  be  truth  in  them  I  have 
come  to  you  as  speedily  as  I  might.  Alpin  is 
about  to  engage  in  mortal  combat.  Bid  him  be 
wary,  bid  him  arm  himself  well ;  for  I  heard  one 
of  the  shepherds  say  that  Roderic  is  clothed  in 
a  shirt  of  iron  network,  and  that  if  it  had  not 
been  so  the  knife  wherewith  Alpin  smote  him 
would  have  slain  him  where  he  stood." 

"  Ailsa,"  said  Kenric,  "  much  do  I  fear  me 
that  there  is  ample  need  of  this  warning.  Help 
me,  I  beseech  you.  Run  to  the  castle  and  bid 
Duncan  not  fail  to  bring  my  brother's  coat 
of  mail." 


82  THE   THIRSTY    SWORD 

Then  Ailsa  disappeared  and  like  a  lapwing 
ran  across  the  moorland. 

Not  long  had  she  been  gone  when  Duncan 
appeared,  bearing  two  great  claymores.  But  he 
had  not  brought  the  coat  of  mail ;  and  Kenric 
seeing  this  drew  his  brother  aside  and  bade  him 
tarry  until  Ailsa  should  return,  that  he  might 
protect  his  body  with  the  chain  shirt,  and  so  be 
equal  with  his  foe. 

The  men  of  Bute  then  went  in  a  vast  crowd 
to  the  lower  march  beside  Ascog  mere,  for  it 
was  against  the  ancient  custom  that  any  blood 
should  be  shed  within  the  sacred  circle  reserved 
for  the  administration  of  the  laws.  And  they 
formed  a  great  ring  upon  the  level  ground,  in 
the  midst  of  which  stood  Earl  Roderic  alone, 
with  his  great  two-handed  sword  in  his  hand, 
and  the  sun  glancing  upon  his  helm  as  he  held 
his  head  proudly  aloft. 

And  the  cry  went  about : 

"  Alpin !  where  is  Alpin  ?    Is  he  then  afraid  ?  " 

But  soon  a  gap  was  made  in  the  circle  and 
Alpin  strode  boldly  forward  with  a  light  step. 

Kenric,  who  had  sent  Ailsa  away,  telling  her 
that  it  was  no  sight  for  a  girl,  stood  beside  Sir 
Oscar  and  Allan  Redmain,  and  he  told  how 
Ailsa  had  brought  Alpin's  armour. 

"  Then  am  I  much  relieved,"  said  Sir  Oscar. 
"  Nevertheless  there  is  no  man  I  know,  unless 
it  be  Sir  Piers  de  Currie,  who  can  handle  a 


"WITH    A    FIERCE    CRY    THEY    RUSHED    TOGETHER." 


THE    ORDEAL    BY    BATTLE  83 

sword  as  your  brother  can ;  and  methinks  Earl 
Roderic  will  not  easily  bear  up  against  him. 
Look  at  them  both.  Alpin  is  fresh  and  lithe 
as  a  young  stag.  Ah,  Roderic,  methinks  your 
hour  has  surely  come  !  " 

Alpin  dressed  the  end  of  his  plaid  about  his 
left  arm  and  pulled  out  his  sword.  He  stood 
at  five  paces  from  his  foe.  Then  both  swerved 
about  with  their  heads  bent  forward.  Still 
keeping  apart,  eyeing  one  the  other,  round  and 
round  they  traversed.  Then  Alpin  got  his  back 
to  the  sunlight,  drew  himself  up,  and  flung  back 
his  sword.  With  a  fierce  cry  they  rushed  to- 
gether and  their  swords  clashed  with  mighty 
strokes.  Then  they  both  reeled  backward  two 
strides  to  recover.  Tracing  and  traversing 
again  they  leapt  at  each  other  as  noble  men 
who  had  often  been  well  proved  in  combat,  and 
neither  would  stint  until  they  both  lacked  wind, 
and  they  stood  a  while  panting  and  blowing, 
each  grasping  his  weapon  ready  to  begin  again. 
When  they  had  rested  they  went  to  battle  once 
more,  tracing  and  foining  and  hurtling  together, 
so  that  none  who  beheld  them  could  know  which 
was  like  to  win  the  battle.  Their  clothing  was 
so  far  hewn  that  the  chains  of  their  coats  of  mail 
could  be  seen.  Alpin  had  a  cut  across  his  knee, 
Roderic's  arm  was  bleeding.  Roderic  was  a 
wily  man  of  war,  and  his  wily  fighting  taught 
Alpin  to  be  wise  and  to  guard  well  his  bare 


84  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

head,  for  it  was  ever  at  his  head  that  Roderic 
aimed.  Often  he  smote  such  strokes  as  made 
Alpin  stagger  and  kneel ;  but  in  a  moment  the 
youth  leapt  lightly  to  his  feet  and  rushed  at  his 
foe,  until  Roderic's  arms  and  face  were  red  with 
blood. 

The  crowd  about  them  hailed  Alpin's  dexter- 
ous fighting  with  lusty  cries  of  approval,  and 
none  doubted  that  he  would  soon  make  an  end 
of  his  boastful  antagonist.  But  neither  had  yet 
gained  the  upper  hand. 

So  for  a  full  half-hour  they  fought,  until 
Alpin  at  length  sorely  wounded  Roderic  on  the 
shoulder.  At  that  Roderic  was  wroth  out  of 
measure,  and  he  rushed  upon  Alpin,  doubling 
his  mighty  strokes.  Their  swords  clashed  and 
clanged  and  flashed  in  bright  circles  through 
the  air.  But  at  last,  by  fortune,  Roderic  smote 
Alpin's  sword  out  of  his  hand,  and  if  Alpin  had 
stooped  to  pick  it  up  surely  he  would  have  been 
slain.  He  stood  still  a  moment  and  beheld  his 
weapon  with  a  sorrowful  heart.  There  was 
a  deep  groan  of  anguish  from  the  crowd,  and 
Kenric,  seeing  the  peril  in  which  his  brother 
was  placed,  would  have  rushed  forward  to 
Alpin's  help  had  not  Duncan  Graham  held  him 
back,  fearing  that  he  too  might  find  himself  in 
Earl  Roderic's  power.  Then  Allan  Redmain 
was  about  to  run  in  to  Alpin's  aid,  but  his  father 
caught  his  arm  and  bade  him  stand  back. 


THE    ORDEAL    BY    BATTLE  85 

"  How  now  ?  "  cried  Roderic.  "  Now  have  I 
got  you  at  an  advantage  as  you  had  me  yester- 
night. But  it  shall  never  be  said  that  Roderic 
of  Gigha  would  meanly  slay  any  man  who  was 
weaponless.  And  therefore  take  up  your  sword, 
Earl  Alpin,  and  let  us  make  an  end  of  this 
battle." 

Roderic  then  drew  back  that  Alpin  might 
without  hindrance  take  up  his  sword.  Then 
into  Roderic's  eyes  there  came  a  look  of  fixed 
fury,  and  in  that  look  Alpin  read  his  doom. 

Again  they  took  their  ground,  and  this  time 
neither  seemed  so  eager  to  spring  at  the  other. 
But  at  last  young  Alpin  leapt  wildly  at  his  foe, 
with  his  sword  upraised  in  the  grip  of  his  two 
hands.  Down  came  his  weapon  with  a  mighty 
swing,  and  all  thought  surely  that  blow  would 
be  Roderic's  end.  But  Roderic  sprang  lightly 
aside,  so  that  the  young  man's  aim  was  spent 
upon  the  soft  ground.  Roderic's  sword  flashed 
in  a  circle  above  his  crested  helm.  There  was 
a  dull  crunching  sound,  and  then  a  deep  groan. 

Kenric  promptly  rushed  to  his  brother's  side 
and  tried  to  raise  him  from  the  ground.  But 
the  sword  of  Roderic  of  Gigha  had  done  its 
work.  Earl  Alpin  was  dead. 

Then  the  men  of  Bute,  seeing  what  had  be- 
fallen their  young  king,  raised  a  wailing  cry 
that  rent  the  sunny  air,  and  they  closed  in  their 
ranks  around  their  fallen  chief. 


86  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

Earl  Roderic  looked  but  for  a  moment  at 
Alpin,  and  then  swinging  his  blood-stained 
sword  from  right  to  left  he  passed  through  the 
crowd  of  men.  For  the  islanders,  having  just 
left  the  court  of  the  mooting,  were  none  of  them 
armed.  So  when  Roderic  made  his  way  into 
their  midst  they  fell  back  beyond  the  range  of 
his  swinging  blade.  They  saw  that  he  was 
making  his  way  towards  the  shores  of  the  lake, 
which  was  but  a  few  paces  from  where  the  bat- 
tle had  been  fought.  Many  of  them  picked  up 
great  stones  and  flung  them  after  him  and  struck 
him  on  the  back. 

"  Down  with  the  base  traitor ! "  they  cried. 

But  he  little  heeded  either  their  missiles  or 
their  menacing  cries.  On  he  sped  until  his  feet 
were  ankle-deep  in  the  mere.  Then  he  turned 
round  for  a  moment  and  saw  young  Kenric, 
armed  with  his  brother's  sword,  with  Sir  Oscar 
Redmain,  Allan,  Duncan  Graham,  and  many 
others  pursuing  him. 

He  sent  up  a  hollow  mocking  laugh  as  he 
lightly  sheathed  his  sword.  Then  he  waded 
farther  into  the  loch  and  threw  himself  into  the 
deeper  waters,  so  that  only  his  glancing  helm 
could  be  seen  above  the  surface.  As  the  ant- 
lered  stag,  pursued  by  men  and  hounds,  swims 
swiftly  over  the  mountain  tarn  to  the  safety  of 
crag  and  fell,  so  swam  Earl  Roderic  before  the 
fury  of  the  men  of  Bute.  And  none  dared  fol- 


THE    ORDEAL    BY    BATTLE  87 

low  him,  for  it  is  said  that  that  loch  is  deeper 
than  the  hills  are  high. 

So  many  ran  round  to  the  farther  shores  that 
they  might  there  meet  him  and  assail  him  with 
showers  of  stones.  In  the  brief  time  that  had 
passed  between  two  settings  of  the  sun  this 
man,  this  traitorous  sea-rover,  had  taken  the 
lives  of  two  kings  —  the  well-beloved  Hamish, 
who  had  ruled  over  that  little  nation  for  a  score 
of  peaceful  and  prosperous  years,  and  Alpin,  his 
son  and  successor,  who  had  fallen  ere  yet  he 
had  known  the  power  of  his  kingship.  And  for- 
getting that  by  the  sentence  of  outlawry  which 
their  judge  had  passed  but  two  hours  before, 
Roderic  had  been  allowed  three  days  of  grace, 
during  which  it  was  a  crime  to  molest  him,  they 
were  driven  to  the  extremity  of  wild  rage ;  they 
thirsted  for  his  blood.  It  was  not  now  enough 
that  he  should  quit  their  island  with  his  treach- 
ery unavenged ;  they  wanted  to  strike  him  down 
that  the  world  might  no  longer  harbour  a  vil- 
lain whose  evil  deeds  were  blacker  and  more 
terrible  than  any  the  oldest  man  in  Bute  had 
ever  known. 

But  ere  they  had  turned  either  point  of  the 
lake  Roderic  had  already  gained  the  firm 
ground  on  the  western  shore,  and  now  he 
shook  the  water  from  him  and  sat  down  on  a 
large  stone  to  rest  his  limbs  and  to  dress  his 
bleeding  wounds. 


88  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

Soon  he  heard  the  rumour  of  men's  angry 
cries  coming  nearer  and  nearer,  like  the  yelp- 
ing of  a  pack  of  wolves.  Rising  and  looking 
about  him  he  saw  many  men  running  towards 
him  from  north  and  from  south  through  the 
dingle  of  Lochly;  and  now  most  surely  he 
might  think  that  he  was  entrapped,  for  he  was 
upon  the  strip  of  land  that  divides  Loch  Ascog 
from  Loch  Fad. 

His  deep  voice  rang  out  across  the  moorland 
like  the  bellowing  call  of  the  stag  that  chal- 
lenges his  rival  in  the  glens.  Bracing  his  long 
sword  about  his  back  he  crossed  westward  over 
the  rising  ground  until  he  came  in  view  of  the 
quiet  waters  of  Loch  Fad,  where  a  flock  of 
wild  swans,  startled  at  his  approach,  flew  over 
towards  the  forest  of  Barone. 

The  two  companies  of  islanders  closed  in 
upon  him,  believing  doubtless  that  he  would  be 
speedily  overcome.  The  one  band  was  led  by 
Sir  Oscar  Redmain  and  his  son,  the  other  by 
Duncan  Graham  and  Kenric. 

Roderic  ran  onward  to  the  water's  edge,  and 
ere  the  first  stone  that  was  thrown  could  reach 
him  he  had  plunged  into  Loch  Fad,  and  as  he 
swam  outward  stones  and  clods  of  turf  fell  in 
showers  about  his  head.  A  stone  thrown  by 
Kenric  struck  him  on  the  helmet  He  sank 
deep  down,  and  all  believed  that  the  water 
would  be  his  death.  But,  like  the  diver-bird  of 


AASTA'S  CURSE  89 

his  native  seas,  he  went  under  but  to  appear 
again  many  yards  away  beyond  the  reach  of 
any  weapon  but  the  arrow,  and  of  arrows  there 
were  none  in  all  that  company. 

Now  Loch  Fad,  which  is  the  largest  of  the 
lakes  of  Bute,  is  full  two  miles  long  and  but 
four  furlongs  wide,  and  it  was  useless  for  any  to 
think  of  meeting  the  fugitive  earl  on  the  farther 
shore.  So  at  the  bidding  of  Sir  Oscar  Redmain 
the  men  all  gave  up  the  chase  and  turned  back 
to  where  the  dead  body  of  Lord  Alpin  lay  prone 
upon  the  turf,  and  thence  they  bore  him  to 
the  castle  of  Rothesay. 


CHAPTER   X 

AASTA'S  CURSE 

RODERIC  of  Gigha,  for  all  that  he  had  been 
absent  from  Bute  for  a  score  of  years,  had 
not  forgotten  the  old  landmarks  that  had  been 
familiar  to  him  in  boyhood.  After  swimming 
across  Loch  Fad  he  found  himself  among  the 
tall  pine-trees  of  the  forest  of  Barone.  Wet 
and  weary  after  his  escape  from  his  pursuers, 
and  smarting  sorely  of  his  many  wounds,  he 
passed  through  the  forest  glades  and  emerged 


9O  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

at  the  point  where,  on  the  evening  before, 
Kenric  had  entered. 

As  he  skirted  the  lands  of  Kilmory  he  saw 
a  herd  of  shaggy  long-horned  cattle  browsing 
there,  with  many  sheep  and  goats.  He  looked 
about  for  their  shepherd  that  he  might  ask  him 
concerning  the  earls  of  Jura  and  Colonsay.  He 
began  to  regret  that  he  had  so  lightly  dismissed 
his  friends,  who  might  better  have  waited  to 
carry  him  in  their  ship  to  Gigha.  Presently 
he  heard  voices  from  behind  a  great  rock.  A 
young  sheep-dog  appeared,  but  when  it  saw 
him  it  turned  tail  and  slunk  away  as  if  it  were 
afraid  of  him.  Then  from  behind  the  rock 
came  young  Lulach  the  herd-boy,  and  with  him 
a  most  beautiful  girl.  Lulach  stood  for  a  mo- 
ment looking  at  the  strange  man. 

"Ah,  'tis  he !  'Tis  he  whom  we  were  but 
now  speaking  of !  "  he  cried,  and  dropping  the 
brown  bread-cake  that  he  had  been  eating  he 
ran  away  down  the  hill  in  terror. 

But  the  girl  stood  still,  with  her  hand  resting 
on  the  rock. 

Now  this  girl  was  the  same  strange  maiden 
who  had  appeared  so  mysteriously  before  Ken- 
ric on  his  night  journey  through  the  forest. 
Tall  she  was  and  very  fair —  tall  and  graceful 
as  a  young  larch-tree,  and  fair  as  the  drifted 
snow  whose  surface  reflects  the  red  morning 
sun.  Her  eyes  were  blue  as  the  starry  sky,  and 


AASTAS    CURSE  91 

her  long  hair  fell  upon  her  white  skin  like  a 
dark  stream  of  blood.  Men  named  this  won- 
drous maiden  Aasta  the  Fair. 

Earl  Roderic  started  back  at  sight  of  her 
great  beauty  as  she  stood  before  him  in  her 
gray  and  ragged  garments,  for  she  was  but  a 
poor  thrall  who  worked  upon  the  lands  of  Kil- 
mory,  minding  the  goats  upon  the  hills  or  mend- 
ing the  fishermen's  nets  down  on  the  shore. 

"  Fair  damsel,"  said  he,  "  tell  me,  I  pray  you, 
if  you  have  seen  pass  by  an  aged  man  and  his 
companion  towards  the  bay  of  Scalpsie  ? " 

"  'Tis  but  an  hour  ago  that  they  passed 
hence,"  said  Aasta.  "  Cursed  be  the  occasion 
that  brought  both  them  and  you  into  this  isle !  " 
Then  she  pointed  across  the  blue  moor  of  the 
sea  where,  under  the  shadow  of  the  high  coast 
of  Arran,  a  vessel  appeared  as  a  mere  speck 
upon  the  dark  water.  "  Yonder  sails  their  ship 
into  the  current  of  Kilbrannan  Sound." 

"Alas  !  "  said  Roderic,  "  and  I  am  too  late." 

"Alas,  indeed !  "  said  Aasta.  "  Methinks  they 
had  better  have  tarried  to  take  away  with  them 
the  false  traitor  they  have  left  upon  our  shores. 
What  manner  of  foul  work  detained  you  that 
you  went  not  hence  with  your  evil  comrades  ? 
But  the  blood  that  I  now  see  flowing  from  your 
wounds  tells  its  own  tale.  You  have  slain  Earl 
Alpin  in  the  fight.  Woe  be  upon  you  ! " 

"  Even  so,"  said  Roderic,  "  for  hard  though 


92  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

he  pressed  me  with  his  vigorous  blows,  yet  my 
good  sword  was  true  to  the  last,  and  I  clove 
his  young  head  in  twain." 

"  Woe  to  you,  woe  to  you,  Roderic  of  Gigha ! " 
cried  Aasta,  shrinking  from  his  approach. 
"  Curses  be  upon  you  for  the  evil  work  that  you 
have  done.  May  you  never  again  know  peace 
upon  this  earth.  May  those  you  love  —  if  any 
such  there  be  —  may  they  be  torn  from  you 
and  slain  before  your  eyes.  Worse  than  brute 
that  you  are,  meaner  than  the  meanest  worm 
that  creeps,  curse  you,  curse  you  !  " 

Then  as  Aasta  drew  yet  farther  back  her 
hand  was  caught  by  another  hand  which  drew 
her  gently  aside,  and  from  behind  the  rock 
appeared  the  gaunt  figure  of  old  Elspeth  Black- 
fell.  And  Lulach  the  herd-boy,  having  over- 
come his  fears,  crept  nearer  and  stood  apart. 

Roderic  paused  at  seeing  the  old  crone,  and 
his  face  grew  pale. 

"  Unworthy  son  of  Bute ! "  said  Elspeth,  point- 
ing her  thin  finger  at  the  island  king,  "  you 
have  heard  this  good  maiden's  curse.  Even  so 
do  all  the  dwellers  in  Bute  curse  you  at  this 
hour.  But  the  great  God  who  sees  into  all 
hearts,  and  in  whose  hands  alone  must  rest  our 
vengeance — He  will  surely  repay  you  for  the 
sorrows  that  your  wickedness  has  caused.  Go, 
Roderic  MacAlpin.  Go,  ere  it  is  too  late,  and 
before  the  high  altar  of  St.  Blane's  pray  to  Him 


AASTAS    CURSE  93 

for  the  mercy  and  forgiveness  that  you  sorely 
need." 

Roderic  bowed  his  head  and  nervously 
clasped  and  unclasped  his  hands. 

"  Go  while  there  is  yet  time  and  confess  your 
sins,"  continued  Elspeth.  "And  if  there  is 
aught  of  penitence  in  y«ur  black  heart  then 
seek  from  our  good  and  holy  abbot  the  means 
whereby  you  may  fulfil  your  penance  during 
the  days  that  remain  to  you  on  earth." 

It  seemed  that  a  great  change  had  come  over 
him  as  he  walked  away,  for  his  step  was  halting 
and  his  head  was  bowed.  He  walked  along  by 
the  cliffs  that  are  at  the  verge  of  the  sea ;  south- 
ward past  Scalpsie  and  Lubas  and  Barr,  then 
inland  to  the  little  chapel  of  St.  Blane's.  And 
ever  at  his  heels  hobbled  Elspeth  Blackfell. 

When  Earl  Roderic  had  entered  the  holy 
place  to  open  his  heart  in  confession  to  the 
abbot,  Elspeth  waited  on  the  headland  above 
the  bay  of  Dunagoil.  In  that  bay  there  was  a 
ship,  and  the  shipmen  were  unloading  her  of  a 
cargo  of  English  salt  and  other  commodities  of 
the  far  south.  Presently  the  old  woman  went 
downward  to  the  beach,  and  there  held  speech 
with  the  shipmaster,  who,  as  it  chanced,  being 
a  man  of  Wales,  could  make  shift  to  understand 
the  Gaelic  tongue,  and  from  him  she  learned 
that  the  ship  was  to  leave  at  the  ebb  tide  for 
England. 


94  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

Now  Elspeth  had  seen  young  Ailsa  Redmain 
as  the  girl  was  passing  to  her  father's  castle, 
and  Ailsa  had  told  her  how  the  wicked  lord  of 
Gigha  had  been  made  an  outlaw.  So  Elspeth 
questioned  the  shipmaster,  asking  him  if  he 
would  be  free  to  carry  this  man  away  from 
Bute. 

"  My  good  dame,"  said  the  mariner,  "  that 
will  I  most  gladly  do,  for  your  holy  bishop  or 
abbot,  or  whatever  he  be,  hath  already  paid  me 
the  sum  of  four  golden  pieces  in  agreeing  that 
I  shall  do  this  thing  —  though  for  the  matter 
of  that,  this  man  is  a  king  in  his  own  land,  and 
methinks  the  honour  were  ample  payment  with- 
out the  gold ;  so  if  the  winds  permit,  and  we 
meet  no  rascally  pirates  by  the  way,  I  make  no 
doubt  that  ere  the  next  new  moon  we  shall  be 
snug  and  safe  against  the  walls  of  our  good  city 
of  Chester." 

So  ere  the  curtain  of  night  had  fallen  over 
the  Arran  hills  the  outlawed  earl  of  Gigha  had 
left  behind  him  the  little  isle  of  Bute,  and  it 
was  thereafter  told  how  he  had  in  secret  con- 
fessed his  manifold  sins  to  the  abbot  of  St. 
Blane's,  and  how  in  deep  contrition  he  had 
solemnly  sworn  at  the  altar  to  make  forthwith 
the  pilgrimage  of  penance  to  the  Holy  Land, 
there  to  spend  the  three  years  of  his  exile  in 
the  service  of  the  Cross. 


THE    SWORD    OF   SOMERLED  95 

CHAPTER   XI 

THE    SWORD    OF    SOMERLED 

NOW  when  Kenric,  following  sadly  behind 
the  body  of  his  brother,  came  within  sight 
of  the  castle  of  Rothesay  his  heart  sank  heavy 
with  the  woe  that  was  upon  him.  He  thought 
of  how  his  mother  had  pressed  upon  Alpin  the 
charge  of  vengeance,  and  of  how  that  charge 
had  ended.  He  would  far  rather  have  given 
up  his  own  life  than  face  his  mother  and  tell 
her  the  terrible  tale  of  how  the  man  whom 
Alpin  had  sworn  to  slay  had  himself  slain 
Alpin.  And  he  was  sorrowful  beyond  meas- 
ure. 

They  bore  the  body  of  their  dead  young 
king  into  the  great  hall,  and  laid  him  on  a  bier 
beside  the  body  of  his  father,  the  good  Earl 
Hamish,  and  the  curtains  were  drawn  and  many 
candles  and  torches  were  lighted  and  set  round 
the  two  biers,  while  two  of  the  friars  of  St. 
Blane's  knelt  there  in  solemn  prayer. 

Then  Kenric  went  to  the  door  of  his  mother's 
chamber  and  knocked,  and  old  Janet,  a  retainer 
of  many  years,  came  out  to  him. 

"Alas ! "  said  she,  "  my  lady  your  mother  is 
passing  ill,  and  she  hath  spoken  never  a  word 


96  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

these  many  hours.  We  have  sent  forth  a  mes- 
senger to  Elspeth  Blackfell,  who  is  skilled 
beyond  all  in  Bute  for  her  craft  in  simples. 
But  Elspeth  was  abroad,  and  the  messenger 
returned  without  her." 

"  Then  will  I  go  myself  and  find  her,"  said 
Kenric.  So  he  went  down  into  the  courtyard 
and  called  his  favourite  hound  Fingall,  that  he 
might  have  companionship  in  his  quest.  But 
the  dog  gave  no  answer  to  his  call,  and  search- 
ing for  it  he  found  the  animal  lying  moaning  in 
a  corner  of  the  yard  and  writhing  as  in  pain. 

"  The  dog  well  knows  that  our  master,  Earl 
Hamish,  is  dead,"  said  one  of  the  servitors. 
"  Grief  is  killing  him." 

"Not  so,"  said  Kenric.  "The  dog  is  ill. 
What  manner  of  food  has  he  eaten  ?  " 

"  Naught  save  the  few  scraps  of  venison  that 
my  lady  left  upon  her  plate  after  the  feast,"  said 
the  servitor. 

"  Methinks,  then,"  said  Kenric,  "  that  I  must 
even  go  alone.  But  see  you  that  my  poor  friend 
is  well  tended,  for  even  though  he  be  but  a  dumb 
hound,  he  is  a  true  and  a  faithful  one,  and  I 
would  not  that  he  should  die." 

Now,  as  he  walked  over  the  hill  of  Barone, 
Kenric  thought  upon  this  strange  illness  that 
had  befallen  his  dog ;  and  suddenly,  as  though  a 
light  had  flashed  into  his  mind,  he  remembered 
how  Alpin  had  told  him  of  the  feast,  and  of 


TirE    SWORD    OF   SOMERLED  97 

how  Earl  Roderic,  sitting  at  my  lady's  side,  had 
cut  up  her  venison  for  her;  and  also  of  how 
my  lady,  ere  she  had  eaten  but  a  few  pieces  of 
the  venison,  had  left  the  board.  It  was  the  same 
plateful  of  venison  that  the  dog  had  eaten,  and 
now  both  the  Lady  Adela  and  the  dog  were  ill. 

Then  Kenric  saw  clearly  that  this  was  but 
another  of  the  base  schemes  of  his  treacherous 
uncle,  who,  not  yet  certain  by  what  means  he 
should  compass  the  death  of  Earl  Hamish,  had 
taken  this  poisonous  course  to  assure  himself 
that  the  Lady  Adela  should  be  ill  on  that 
night,  and  powerless  to  interfere  in  the  crime 
that  was  in  his  mind. 

"  Oh,  devil's  messenger,  or  devil  himself  that 
thou  art !  "  he  cried.  "  Cursed  be  the  hour  that 
brought  you  in  our  midst,  Roderic  MacAlpin. 
You  have  slain  my  father,  you  have  slain  my 
brother ;  my  dear  mother  is  now  by  your  cruel 
hand  laid  helpless  on  her  couch.  But  by  my 
father's  soul  and  by  my  mother's  blessing,  I 
swear  that  you  shall  die.  By  my  hand  and 
none  other  you  shall  perish  !  Oh,  God  in  mercy 
give  me  strength  —  give  me  power  to  kill  this 
man  of  blood ! " 

Then  at  high  speed  he  ran  down  the  hillside, 
and  the  grouse  birds  lying  low  in  the  heather 
rose  with  startled  cries  and  flew  off  to  the  fur- 
ther heights,  uttering  sounds  as  of  mocking 
laughter. 


98  THE   THIRSTY    SWORD 

Between  Loch  Dhu  and  Kilmory,  as  he 
crossed  towards  the  marshes,  a  flock  of  lapwings 
rose  in  alarm,  and  Kenric  knew  by  their  cries 
that  some  other  than  himself  was  near.  He 
turned  his  course,  thinking  that  old  Elspeth 
might  be  there,  passing  homeward  from  the 
peat-casting. 

Beside  the  rock  where,  three  hours  before, 
Earl  Roderic  had  stood,  he  found  Lulach  the 
herd-boy,  and  on  the  height  of  the  rock  sat 
Aasta  twining  a  wreath  of  daisies  in  her  blood- 
red  hair.  When  they  saw  Kenric  they  both 
stepped  forward,  and  together  they  threw  them- 
selves upon  the  ground  before  him,  pressing 
his  coarse  garments  to  their  lips. 

"  Give  you  good  day,  my  lord  the  king,"  they 
both  said. 

Thus  did  it  chance  that  these  two  humble 
thralls,  Lulach  and  Aasta,  were  the  first  of  all 
the  dwellers  in  Bute  to  hail  Lord  Kenric  as 
their  king,  and  not  till  then  did  Kenric  remem- 
ber that  by  the  death  of  Alpin  he  was  now 
indeed  the  rightful  lord  of  Bute,  and  he  thought 
of  the  prophecy  of  Elspeth  Blackfell.  Disturbed 
in  mind  at  the  so  early  homage  of  Aasta  and 
Lulach,  he  bade  them  rise. 

"  For  your  courtesy  I  thank  you,"  he  said. 
"  But  tell  me,  I  pray  you,  where  is  Dame  El- 
speth gone,  and  where  may  I  find  her?  For 
my  mother,  the  Lady  Adela,  is  passing  ill." 


THE    SWORD    OF    SOMERLED  99 

"  The  Lady  Adela  ill !  "  echoed  Aasta.  "Alas ! 
alas ! " 

"  Elspeth  has  gone  these  two  hours  past 
towards  Dunagoil,"  said  Lulach.  "  So  please 
you,  my  lord,  I  will  run  after  her  and  bid  her 
hasten  to  my  lady's  aid." 

"  Yes,  Lulach,  run,  run  like  the  wind  !  "  cried 
Aasta,  and  the  lad  ran  off. 

Kenric  was  about  to  follow  him,  when  Aasta 
drew  him  back. 

"  One  will  serve  as  well  as  two,  my  lord," 
said  she,  "  and  methinks  it  were  better  that 
you  sped  back  to  Rothesay.  Lulach  will  not 
fail." 

"  But  I  have  yet  another  purpose,  Aasta," 
said  Kenric.  "  I  would  find  the  base  villain, 
Roderic  of  Gigha." 

"  'Twas  he  whom  Dame  Elspeth  followed," 
said  the  girl,  "  and  he  has  gone  to  the  abbey 
of  St.  Blane's,  there  to  confess  his  sins." 

"Alas !  "  said  Kenric ;  "  then  if  he  has  taken 
sanctuary  I  am  powerless  to  molest  him,  for 
even  though  I  would  willingly  lay  him  dead  at 
my  feet,  yet  it  were  sacrilege  to  spill  blood  in 
the  precincts  of  the  abbey." 

"  But  you  are  weaponless,  my  lord." 

"  I  have  my  dirk,"  said  he,  showing  the 
weapon  in  his  belt. 

"As  well  take  a  hazel  wand  as  that  poor 
thing,"  said  she.  "  This  man  in  his  late  contest 


IOO  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

with  your  noble  brother  has  slain  a  sprightlier 
swordsman  than  yourself,  Earl  Kenric.  Ah, 
had  I  but  known  of  his  coming,  this  traitor  had 
not  served  our  island  as  he  has  done !  'Tis 
true,  I  might  not  have  done  aught  to  save  the 
life  of  Earl  Hamish  your  father,  but  had  not 
yon  churl  Duncan  Graham  failed  me  yester- 
night Earl  Alpin  at  least  might  have  been 
spared." 

"  Now,  with  what  grim  sorcery  has  Dame 
Elspeth  been  bewitching  you  ?  "  he  exclaimed, 
drawing  back  a  pace. 

Aasta's  fair  cheeks  and  towering  white  neck 
blushed  crimson,  and  she  looked  down  at  the 
grass  about  her  feet. 

"  Yesternight,"  continued  Kenric,  "in  passing 
through  the  shadows  of  the  forest  I  suddenly 
encountered  a  wolf,  and  as  I  was  about  to  draw 
my  bow,  lo !  the  wolf  disappeared,  and  in  its 
place  it  was  you,  Aasta,  that  I  beheld." 

"  Ah,  it  was  you,  then,  that  appeared  ? "  said 
Aasta.  "Alas,  my  lord,  I  mistook  you  for  one 
of  the  Norsemen  of  Earl  Roderic's  following, 
and  I  fled." 

"  Methinks  it  was  a  strange  fancy  that  led  a 
maid  into  the  dark  forest  at  such  an  hour," 
said  Kenric  sternly.  "  What  manner  of  witch- 
ery led  you  there  ?  But  you  spoke  of  Duncan 
Graham,  and  now  I  mind  me  that  he  too 
would  have  gone  forth  to  the  Rock  of  Soli- 


THE    SWORD    OF    SOMERLED  IOI 

tude  had  I  not  warned  him  against  so  bold 
an  adventure." 

"  My  lord,"  said  Aasta,  growing  .very  red, 
"  there  is  no  man  in  all  your  castle  more  faithful 
than  Duncan,  and  I  trust  that  you  will  deem 
him  no  less  true  when  you  know  that  twice  ere 
yesternight  he  has  held  tryst  with  me.  It  was 
his  purpose,  had  not  these  misfortunes  befallen 
your  house,  to  have  sued  with  my  lord  your 
father  that  I  might  be  freed  from  the  bondage 
of  my  thraldom,  and  if  that  boon  had  been 
denied  him,  he  would  even  have  purchased  my 
liberty,  that  I  might  thus  have  been  more 
worthy  to  become  his  wedded  wife." 

"Aasta,"  said  Kenric,  "  I  sought  not  to  draw 
these  secrets  from  your  heart.  And  if  it  be  that 
Duncan  loves  you  and  would  have  you  to  wife, 
then,  believe  me,  it  is  not  long  that  you  shall 
remain  in  thraldom." 

"  God  give  you  thanks,  my  lord  the  king," 
said  Aasta  softly.  And  as  the  morning  dew- 
drop  shines  upon  the  harebell,  so  shone  the  tears 
of  gratitude  that  filled  her  deep  blue  eyes.  At 
that  moment  as  she  turned  away  the  cry  of  the 
cuckoo  was  heard  from  the  woods,  and  the  girl 
kissed  her  hand  and  said  in  the  Danish, 
"  Cuckoo,  cuckoo,  when  shall  I  be  married  ?  " 

But  the  bird  answered  not  at  all,  and  Aasta 
grew  very  sad. 

Kenric,  leaving  her  behind,  then  wended  his 


IO2  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

way  back  towards  Rothesay.  But  not  far  had 
he  gone  into  the  wood  when  he  found  that  the 
girl  was  following  him. 

"  My  lord,"  said  she,  coming  to  his  side  and 
walking  near  him, "  when  yesterday  I  heard  that 
these  three  strange  men  had  come  to  Bute,  and 
Elspeth  told  me  what  manner  of  wicked  men 
they  were,  now  is  the  time,  I  thought,  when  the 
mighty  sword  of  King  Somerled  must  be  un- 
earthed, for  most  surely  will  that  sword  be 
needed.  And  methought  I  would  send  that 
sword  by  the  hands  of  Duncan  Graham.  But 
Duncan  came  not  to  the  tryst.  And  now  that 
Earl  Alpin  is  slain  —  now  that,  as  it  seems,  my 
lord,  you  have  resolved  to  bring  this  false  trai- 
tor of  Gigha  to  his  merited  death,  methinks  it 
is  you  who  should  bear  that  sword,  that  by  its 
aid  you  may  fulfil  your  vengeance." 

Kenric  looked  at  the  maiden  in  blank  sur- 
prise, and  he  thought  that  either  there  was 
something  strange  and  mysterious  in  her  nature 
or  that  her  mind  was  wandering. 

"  The  name  of  my  great  ancestor,  King 
Somerled,  God  rest  him !  is  indeed  as  well 
known  to  me  as  my  own,"  said  he;  "but  of 
this  sword  of  which  you  speak  I  have  heard 
nothing.  Truly,  I  know  not  what  you  mean, 
Aasta." 

They  were  now  passing  through  the  pine 
forest,  where  athwart  the  tall  trunks  of  the  trees 


THE    SWORD    OF    SOMERLED  10$ 

slanted  the  rays  of  the  evening  sun,  and  there 
was  no  sound  but  the  cooing  of  the  wood- 
pigeons  and  the  crackling  of  the  dry  twigs  and 
cones  as  Kenric  and  Aasta  stepped  upon  the 
velvet  turf. 

"  Long,  long  ago,"  said  Aasta,  "  as  Elspeth 
has  ofttimes  told  me,  there  lived  in  Norway  a 
great  and  ambitious  king  named  Harald  Fair- 
hair,  who,  for  the  love  of  a  proud  maiden,  put 
the  whole  of  Norway  under  his  feet;  and  being 
lord  over  that  great  country  by  right  of  conquest 
he  laid  claim  to  every  man's  odal,  or  lands,  in 
such  wise  that  his  realm  was  no  longer  a  place 
in  which  a  free-born  man  could  live.  So  many 
men  of  that  land  took  ship  and  went  forth  upon 
the  seas  to  seek  other  homes,  and  they  came  to 
the  land  of  the  Scots.  They  were  adventurous 
and  valiant  men,  who  took  to  conquest  and  sea- 
roving  as  a  cygnet  takes  to  the  water.  Now 
these  vikings  were  soon  such  a  thorn  in  the  side 
of  King  Harald,  that  he  resolved  to  quell  the 
evil  by  following  his  old  enemies  to  their  new 
abodes  and  hunting  them  across  the  western 
main,  and  he  passed  down  among  the  Western 
Isles,  and  harried  and  wasted  those  lands  farther 
than  any  Norwegian  monarch  before  him  or 
after  him.  So  it  befell  that  the  Western  Isles, 
that  had  belonged  to  the  Scots,  were  peopled 
and  ruled  over  by  the  Norsemen." 

Kenric  listened  to  the  girl's  soft  voice  as  it 


104  THE   THIRSTY    SWORD 

rippled  in  sweet  music,  but  he  heeded  little  this 
oft-told  tale. 

"Now  there  arose  a  great  man  in  Argyll,  who 
was  mightier  than  any  of  the  Scots  that  had  so 
lightly  allowed  their  lands  to  be  torn  away  from 
them,  and  this  was  King  Somerled.  He  waged 
war  against  the  Norsemen  of  the  Western  Isles, 
and  he  made  conquest  of  Bute,  Arran,  and 
Gigha,  with  the  Cumbraes  and  other  smaller 
isles  that  still  remain  in  the  hands  of  the  Scots, 
for  he  was  a  most  powerful  warrior,  and  it  was 
said  that  no  man  ever  crossed  swords  with  him 
but  to  be  slain.  His  enemies  fell  before  him  like 
ripe  grain  in  the  swath  of  the  mower's  sickle. 
And  his  sword  —  " 

"  Yes,  his  sword  ?  "  said  Kenric,  growing  in- 
terested now. 

"  His  sword  had  drunk  so  often  and  so  fully 
of  men's  blood,  that  it  seemed  to  take  new  life 
into  itself  out  of  the  hearts  of  all  who  fell  before 
its  sway,  and  men  named  it  the  Thirsty  Sword, 
for  it  is  never  satisfied.  It  was  said  beforetime 
that  if  a  sword  be  the  death  of  five  score  of  men, 
it  comes  to  be  possessed  of  a  lust  for  slaying. 
But  the  sword  of  Somerled  had  drunk  the  life's 
blood  of  twice  five  score  of  men,  and  none 
might  take  it  in  his  grasp  and  lay  it  down  again 
ere  it  had  killed  a  man." 

"  Such  a  weapon  were  surely  a  great  danger 
in  the  land,  Aasta,"  said  Kenric.  "  I  would  not 


AASTA    REVEALS    "THE    THIRSTY    SWORD." 


THE    SWORD    OF    SOMERLED  1 05 

willingly  touch  it  if  any  but  my  enemies  were 
near.  But  by  reason  of  the  desire  for  vengeance 
that  is  now  upon  me,  gladly  would  I  know 
where  that  sword  is  to  be  found,  that  it  may 
be  ready  when  the  time  comes  to  drink  the 
blood  of  the  falsest  heart  that  ever  beat,  and 
that  is  the  heart  of  Earl  Roderic  of  Gigha." 

"  Then,  methinks  it  will  not  be  long  ere  you 
have  that  weapon  in  your  hand,  my  lord,"  said 
Aasta,  quickening  her  steps.  "  For  it  befell 
that  I  had  a  dream  vision,  and  I  saw  where  long 
ago  the  men  of  Bute  had  buried  the  sword, 
swathed  in  sheep-skins  that  the  blade  might  not 
be  eaten  by  rust.  So  I  unearthed  it,  and  hid 
it  under  the  Rock  of  Solitude,  where  we  shall 
now  find  it." 

Kenric  and  Aasta  went  onward  through  the 
forest  glades,  and  when  they  came  to  the  rock 
Aasta  put  her  white  arm  into  a  deep  cavity,  and 
drew  forth  a  bundle  of  sheep-skins.  Unwrap- 
ping them  she  revealed  the  glittering  weapon. 
With  her  two  hands  she  clasped  its  hilt,  and 
raised  the  Thirsty  Sword  above  the  crown  of 
daisies  that  was  upon  her  hair. 

Kenric  drew  back,  for  he  was  yet  afraid  of 
this  strange  witch-maiden,  whose  fairness  and 
beauty  were  regarded  by  the  men  of  Bute  as 
betokening  the  spell  of  her  subtle  sorcery.  But 
seeing  him  recoil,  Aasta  lowered  the  weapon 
and  smiled,  showing  her  pearl-white  teeth. 


IO6  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

"  He  who  would  wield  this  weapon,  my  lord," 
said  she,  "  must  strip  his  heart  of  all  fear  and 
trembling.  Take  you  the  sword  in  hand,  and 
I  will  stand  before  you  while  you  try  your 
power  with  it.  Not  hard  will  it  be  to  wield  it, 
for  it  was  forged  by  the  hand  of  Munifican,  and 
so  well  balanced  is  it,  and  so  easy  to  grip,  that 
a  youth  of  half  your  strength,  my  lord,  might 
swing  it  for  many  hours  and  not  be  weary." 

Then  Kenric  took  the  sword  in  his  hard 
grip,  and  holding  it  out  at  arm's  length  he  saw 
that  its  point  was  but  a  span's  distance  from 
Aasta's  breast.  He  bade  the  girl  stand  still. 
Aasta  stood  like  a  pillar  of  stone  before  him, 
with  the  sunlight  upon  her  red-gold  hair;  nor 
did  she  stir  a  finger  or  blink  an  eyelash  as 
young  Kenric,  firm  on  his  feet,  flung  back  his 
arms  and  swung  the  terrible  weapon  once, 
twice,  thrice,  to  right  and  left  in  front  of  her. 
Seeing  the  maiden's  fearless  courage,  "Now  do  I 
in  sooth  believe,"  said  he,  "  that  you  are  in  very 
deed  a  witch,  Aasta.  But  what  you  have  said 
of  this  sword  is,  methinks,  nothing  less  than 
true ;  and,  if  you  will  it  so,  then  will  I  take  it, 
so  that  I  may  now  confront  this  villain  Earl 
Roderic,  and  slay  him  for  my  revenge." 

"  God  be  your  guard !  my  lord  the  king," 
said  Aasta,  "  and  may  you  never  use  that 
sword  without  just  cause."  And  so  saying 
she  went  her  ways. 


THE    SWORD    OF    SOMERLED  1 07 

Now,  when  Kenric,  armed  with  the  Thirsty 
Sword,  and  with  his  heart  full  of  bitter  ven- 
geance, came  upon  the  rocky  heights  of  Duna- 
goil,  and  held  discourse  with  one  of  his  friends, 
a  friar  of  St.  Blane's,  he  learned  that  his  enemy 
had  already  quitted  the  island,  and  was  now 
aboard  the  English  ship  on  the  first  stage  of  his 
pilgrimage  to  the  Holy  Land.  Not  till  then 
did  Kenric  remember  his  sick  mother,  or  think 
of  how  he  had  set  out  to  summon  Elspeth  Black- 
fell  to  the  castle.  He  blamed  himself  beyond 
measure  in  that  he  had  allowed  his  vengeful 
thoughts  to  so  lead  him  away  from  his  higher 
duty. 

But  as  it  happened,  Lulach  had  served  him 
well.  When  Kenric  got  back  to  Rothesay  he 
found  Elspeth  already  busy  in  her  work  of 
nursing  his  mother  back  to  health.  So  skilful 
was  the  old  woman  in  this,  that  in  the  space  of 
two  days  the  Lady  Adela  was  fully  restored, 
and  able  to  hear  the  sad  news  of  how  her 
favourite  son  had  fallen  under  Roderic's  sword. 

Of  the  burial  of  Hamish  and  Alpin,  and  of 
the  solemn  rites  attending  that  ceremony,  there 
is  no  need  to  tell.  Noble  and  true  were  they 
both,  and  well-beloved  for  their  worthiness.  But 
they  are  dead,  and  so,  as  the  old  scalds  would 
say,  have  passed  out  of  the  story. 


IO8  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

CHAPTER   XII 

HOW    KENRIC    WAS    MADE    KING 

ON  a  day  in  June,  Ailsa  Redmain,  well 
arrayed,  went  forth  from  Kilmory  riding 
behind  her  father,  Sir  Oscar,  on  his  sturdy 
horse.  Beside  them  walked  her  brother  Allan, 
with  a  long  staff  in  his  hand,  a  plaid  over  his 
broad  shoulder,  and  a  tall  feather  in  his  bonnet. 
It  was  one  of  the  calmest  of  summer  days. 
The  warm  sweet  smell  of  the  whin-bloom  was 
in  the  air.  The  lark  sang  merrily  in  the  clear 
sky,  and  across  the  smooth,  glassy  surface  of 
Ascog  loch  the  herons  flew  with  heavy,  indo- 
lent wings. 

Seeing  a  pair  of  these  birds  flying  near,  Sir 
Oscar  turned  to  his  son. 

"  Were  we  not  otherwise  employed,"  said  he, 
"  this  were  a  glorious  day,  Allan,  on  which  to 
fly  our  young  hawks  at  these  herons.  The 
birds  will  lose  their  cunning  if  they  be  not 
better  exercised.  Know  you  if  poor  Alpin  had 
set  aside  a  pair  of  gerfalcons  for  his  Majesty's 
tribute  ?  " 

"  'Tis  but  seven  days  ago  that  we  were  out 
together,  Alpin  and  I,"  said  Allan,  "  and  never 
saw  I  a  better  trained  pair  of  hawks  than  those 


HOW    KENRIC    WAS    MADE    KING  IOQ 

that  are  now  in  keeping  at  Rothesay  against 
the  time  when  the  tribute  must  be  paid.  We 
took  seven  birds  that  rose  from  the  heronry 
of  Barone.  Alas !  had  Alpin  but  lived  I  had 
hoped  to  accompany  him  into  Scotland  that  I 
might  see  King  Alexander.  But  'tis  ever  so 
with  me.  Never  yet  have  I  been  able  to  make 
that  journey." 

"  But,"  said  Ailsa,  "  when  Kenric  has  been 
throned,  will  not  he  also  need  to  pay  yearly 
homage  to  the  King  of  Scots,  even  as  his  father 
was  wont  to  do  ?  " 

"Assuredly,"  said  Sir  Oscar.  "  The  king  of 
Bute  is  so  bound  by  his  vassalage,  and  it  were 
a  sorry  day  for  him  if  he  should  fail  to  observe 
the  usages  which  custom  has  ordained.  So 
soon  as  Kenric  can  do  so,  he  will  take  his  trib- 
ute of  falcons  to  King  Alexander,  and  Allan 
might  even  accompany  him." 

"  But  are  there  no  falcons  in  Scotland, 
father  ?  "  asked  Ailsa. 

"  Plenty  there  are,  my  child.  'Tis  but  the 
form  of  tribute,  showing  that  the  lord  of  Bute 
acknowledges  his  vassalage.  In  like  manner, 
the  lord  of  Arran  delivers  each  year  two  dead 
eagles,  and  the  lord  of  Islay  a  roll  of  homespun 
cloth.  So  may  his  Majesty  know  that  his  sub- 
jects remain  true  to  him." 

"Ah,  heard  you  those  lusty  shouts  ? "  broke 
in  Ailsa,  as  the  hum  of  many  voices  reached 


IIO  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

their  ears.  "  'Tis  surely  the  young  king  that 
they  are  hailing.  Spur  on  the  horse,  for  I 
would  not  willingly  miss  the  sight  of  his  ar- 
rival." 

"  'Tis  but  some  wrestler  thrown,"  said  her 
father.  "  We  shall  be  at  the  Stone  of  Destiny 
long  ere  Kenric  leaves  his  castle  gates." 

Nevertheless,  he  urged  on  the  horse,  and 
soon  they  were  in  the  midst  of  the  vast  crowd 
of  islanders  who  had  assembled  on  the  great 
plain  to  elect  their  new  king. 

Sir  Oscar,  dismounting,  took  his  place  by 
the  throne,  and  when  the  court  was  duly  fenced 
and  the  ruthmen  had  taken  their  places,  each 
at  his  particular  stone,  the  islanders  crowded 
round  in  a  circle  that  all  might  see.  Ailsa  and 
Allan  were  behind  their  father,  and  near  them 
were  Lulach  and  Aasta  the  Fair,  with  Elspeth 
Blackfell  and  many  hillmen  and  dalesmen, 
with  their  women.  And  nearest  to  the  fence- 
cord,  so  that  their  elders  could  see  above  their 
curly  heads,  were  the  little  children  of  Bute, 
who  had  been  brought  from  far  and  near,  to  the 
end  that  when  they  were  old  and  gray-headed 
they  might  have  it  to  say,  "  When  I  was  a  child, 
so  high,  my  mother  carried  me  to  Loch  Ascog 
side,  and  there  I  saw  young  Kenric  made  king 
of  Bute,  and  it  was  the  lordliest  sight  that  ever 
was  seen  in  the  island ;  for  Kenric  was  a  true- 
born  king,  and  the  wisest  and  noblest  of  all  our 


HOW    KENRIC    WAS    MADE    KING  I  I  I 

rulers,  and  all  who  saw  him  on  that  great  day 
foretold  that  it  would  be  so." 

Not  long  had  the  people  waited  when  they 
saw  a  stately  company  of  men-at-arms  advanc- 
ing, and  at  their  head  rode  Kenric,  mounted  on 
a  white  charger.  Not  now  did  he  appear  in 
the  lowly  garments  of  deer-skin  or  with  ill- 
strung  buskins  or  tangled  hair.  He  wore  a 
helm  of  burnished  brass,  crested  with  a  pair  of 
golden  wings ;  his  well-combed  brown  hair 
fluttered  in  the  breeze.  Thrown  over  his  shoul- 
der, and  half  concealing  his  bright  shirt  of  scale 
mail,  was  a  plaid  of  silk.  There  were  silver 
buckles  on  his  tanned  shoes,  and  below  his  bare 
knees  his  legs  were  swathed  in  fine  lawn,  cross- 
gartered  with  red  silk  bands. 

A  great  cheer  rose  in  the  calm  air  and  echoed 
and  re-echoed  far  away  among  the  crags  of 
Loch  Striven  as  Kenric  sprang  lightly  from 
his  steed.  The  crowd  opened  a  place  for  him, 
crying  "All  hail  to  Kenric ! "  and  he  took  his 
stand  in  their  midst  at  the  eastern  side  of  the 
court.  No  farther  did  he  venture,  but  stood 
there  with  bent  head  and  sober,  sunburnt  face, 
resting  his  left  hand  upon  his  sword. 

Then  when  the  abbot  had  spoken  a  few  holy 
words,  Sir  Oscar  Redmain  raised  his  voice  and 
told  what  they  had  all  come  for  to  that  place, 
and  he  asked  the  counsellors  to  name  the  man 
whom  they  would  choose  for  their  lord. 


112  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

"  Kenric,  son  of  Hamish  ! "  they  all  cried. 

Kenric  then  stepped  forward  as  though  he 
were  unwilling  thus  to  be  made  ruler  over  the 
people  of  Bute,  for  the  high  honour  had  come 
suddenly  upon  him  and  he  had  never  dreamed 
of  being  king,  but  only  a  faithful  priest  of  St. 
Blane's,  serving  the  Lord  and  His  people. 

Sir  Oscar  met  him  at  the  foot  of  the  throne, 
and  took  from  him  his  great  sword  and  his  dirk. 

Then  Kenric  turned  and  faced  the  people,  and 
spoke  to  them  in  a  loud,  clear  voice. 

"  Men  of  Bute,"  said  he,  "  much  do  I  tremble 
at  this  great  and  solemn  duty  that  you  have 
thrust  upon  me.  I  am  but  a  stripling,  fitted 
better  to  play  upon  the  hills  in  boyish  sport 
than  to  rule  over  men  who  are  my  elders.  If  it 
be  that  I  am  indeed  to  be  your  king,  then  do  I 
deem  your  choice  made  only  because  I  am  my 
dear  father's  son,  and  not  that  I  have  any  virtue 
or  prowess  that  would  befit  me  for  that  high 
office.  And  now  I  ask  you,  men  of  Bute, 
whether  you  have  ever  found  any  fault  with  the 
manner  in  which  the  late  king,  Earl  Hamish, 
ruled  this  land  and  whether  you  know  of  any- 
thing deserving  blame  in  myself,  that  should 
unfit  me  to  be  your  lord  and  king  ? " 

They  replied  as  with  the  voice  of  one  man 
that  they  knew  no  fault  of  any  kind. 

Then  standing  upon  the  Stone  of  Destiny, 
Kenric  took  from  the  steward  a  straight  white 


HOW    KENRIC    WAS    MADE    KING  11$ 

wand,  and  the  abbot  and  three  friars  anointed 
him  king.  At  the  same  time  old  Dovenald, 
clothed  in  a  scarlet  robe,  advanced  from  the 
crowd,  and  bending  low  before  the  throne  re- 
peated the  catalogue  of  Kenric's  ancestors. 

When  these  ceremonies  were  over,  the  young 
king  swore  upon  his  sword  that  he  would  con- 
tinue his  vassals  in  the  possession  of  their  lands 
and  defend  their  rights  with  his  own  life,  and 
do  exact  justice  to  all  his  subjects. 

"  And  now,"  said  he,  "  if  there  be  any  amongst 
you  who  would  dispute  my  kingship,  let  him 
stand  forward  and  I  will  prove  myself  with  the 
sword."  And  he  threw  down  his  gauntlet  from 
his  girdle. 

No  man  stood  forth.  But  an  aged  woman 
who  was  of  the  crowd  let  down  from  her  arms 
a  little  child,  and  the  child  toddled  forward 
and  picked  up  the  glove  and  handed  it  to  the 
king.  Kenric,  bending  his  strong  back,  took 
up  the  child  in  his  arms  and  kissing  its  two  rosy 
cheeks,  raised  the  little  one  on  his  shoulder,  and 
carried  it  back  to  its  grandam. 

Then  as  he  did  so,  many  mothers  held  up 
their  children  that  these  too  might  share  the 
honour  he  had  done  the  first.  So  Kenric  went 
round  bestowing  his  kisses  and  his  blessings 
upon  the  innocents.  And  the  fathers  and 
mothers  thought  well  of  their  young  king  for 
this  that  he  did,  for  it  showed  them  that  he  had 


114  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

a  tender  and  loving  heart.  Then  they  cheered 
him  yet  again,  until  their  lusty  voices  grew 
hoarse. 

At  length,  when  all  was  done,  the  people  went 
peacefully  to  their  homesteads,  talking  of  what 
they  had  just  seen,  yet  little  thinking  how  soon 
the  time  would  arrive  when  they  should  owe 
the  lives  of  their  innocent  children  to  the  wis- 
dom and  bravery  of  this  boy  king. 


CHAPTER   XIII 

THE    "  WHITE    LADY  "    OF    THE    MOUNTAIN 

ON  the  second  morning  after  his  throning, 
Kenric,  assuming  again  his  clothes  of  deer- 
skin, walked  over  to  Kilmory  Castle,  and  there 
held  counsel  with  his  steward  concerning  the 
way  in  which  he  was  to  pay  tribute  to  his  over- 
lord the  King  of  Scots.  As  a  newly-elected 
king  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  offer  homage 
to  King  Alexander  in  person.  But  he  did  not 
yet  know  in  which  of  the  royal  castles  his  Maj- 
esty might  be  found,  and  he  had  need  to  cross 
over  to  Arran  to  make  inquiries  of  Sir  Piers  de 
Currie,  who,  as  he  knew,  had  lately  had  audience 
with  the  King. 

Sir  Oscar  Redmain,  in  giving  him  his  instruc- 


THE  "  WHITE  LADY      OF  THE  MOUNTAIN       I  I  5 

tions,  asked  him  if  his  son  Allan  might  accom- 
pany him  to  Scotland. 

"  There  is  no  youth  in  all  Bute  whom  I  would 
rather  take  with  me,"  said  Kenric,  "  for  I  have 
now  no  comrade  of  my  own  years  since  my 
brother  Alpin  is  no  longer  alive ;  and  methinks 
that  Allan  might  well  become  to  me  the  true 
friend  that  he  ever  was  to  Alpin.  If  he  will 
come  with  me  even  now  I  will  take  him  across 
to  Castle  Ranza,  and  we  may  then  speak  of  our 
approaching  journey." 

Allan  was  then  out  in  the  fields,  but  he  was 
soon  found,  and  the  two  lads,  armed  with  bows 
and  dirks,  went  together  down  to  the  bay  of  St. 
Ninian's.  Four  fishermen  there  launched  a 
boat  for  them,  and  rowing  out  under  the  little 
island  of  Inch  Marnock,  they  then  hoisted  sail 
and  sped  across  the  Sound  of  Bute  with  a  fresh 
western  wind. 

Not  long  were  they  in  crossing  the  channel 
between  Bute  and  Arran,  and  at  the  north-west 
of  the  latter  island  they  steered  round  into  the 
beautiful  and  quiet  Loch  Ranza.  At  the  head 
of  this  inlet  of  the  sea,  and  standing  out  upon  a 
narrow  neck  of  land  commanding  the  bay,  was 
Sir  Piers  de  Currie's  castle.  Like  many  of  the 
smaller  fortresses  of  that  time,  the  castle  of 
Ranza  was  built,  not  of  stone,  but  of  heavy 
oak  timbers  of  double  walls  that  were  filled 
in  between  with  stones  and  turf,  and  so  won- 


Il6  THE   THIRSTY    SWORD 

drously  strong  and  thick  that  fire  alone  might 
destroy  it. 

Landing  at  a  little  stone  pier,  Kenric  and 
Allan  went  up  to  the  castle  front.  Allan  blew 
his  hunting-horn.  The  guard  ordered  the  draw- 
bridge to  be  lowered,  and  the  two  lads  entered. 
They  were  met  at  the  inner  gates  by  the  Lady 
Grace  de  Currie  and  her  five  young  boys  and 
girls,  who  accompanied  them  into  the  great 
drinking  hall.  Then  as  they  were  taking  the 
hospitality  that  was  offered  them,  Kenric  told  of 
how  the  three  island  kings  had  come  to  Bute, 
and  how  his  father  and  Alpin  had  been  slain. 
Much  concerned  was  the  lady  of  Ranza  at  all 
this  —  for  she  had  heard  but  a  fisherman's  ac- 
count of  what  had  befallen  the  house  of  Rothe- 
say — and  more  than  all  was  she  grieved  at 
the  late  illness  of  her  dear  friend  the  Lady 
Adela. 

"  So  now,"  said  Kenric  when  he  had  modestly 
spoken  of  his  kingship,  "  I  would  see  your  hus- 
band, for,  as  I  hear,  he  has  newly  been  to  Scot- 
land, and  can  tell  me  where  I  may  meet  King 
Alexander." 

"  Sir  Piers,"  said  she  smiling,  "  went  forth  at 
sunrise  with  his  men,  and  is  even  now  upon  the 
mountains  in  search  of  sport.  I  fear  he  will  not 
be  back  ere  morning,  for  you  know  his  habit  of 
wandering  for  days  together  among  the  hills. 
So  I  beg  you,  my  lord  Kenric  —  and  you  also, 


THE  "  WHITE  LADY  "  OF  THE  MOUNTAIN       117 

Allan  —  rest  you  here  in  our  castle  until  Sir 
Piers  returns." 

"Yes,  Kenric,  stay,  and  I  will  show  you  my 
new  bow,  and  you  shall  see  how  well  I  can  now 
aim,"  said  little  Fergus  (the  same  who  in  the 
aftertime  fought  so  valiantly  at  Bannockburn). 

"  No,"  said  Kenric,  "  I  cannot  stay,  for  on  the 
morrow  I  must  even  be  back  in  Bute  to  take 
my  seat  at  the  assize  that  has  been  called,  and 
I  would  not  willingly  neglect  the  first  duty  that 
has  fallen  to  me." 

"  Why,  then,"  said  Allan  Redmain,  "  let  us 
both  to  the  mountains,  my  lord.  There  is  no 
pass  or  crag  in  the  north  of  Arran  that  my  foot 
has  not  trod,  and  it  will  go  hard  if  we  find  not 
Sir  Piers  in  a  few  hours'  time." 

Thereupon  Kenric  and  Allan,  leaving  their 
four  men  at  the  castle,  walked  round  by  the 
shore-side  to  Glen  Catacol,  and  through  a 
gloomy  pass  that  led  far  up  into  the  craggy 
mountains,  where  the  eagle  reigned  on  high 
and  the  red  deer  ran  wild  and  free. 

Now  Allan  Redmain  was  a  most  venturesome 
youth.  He  was  taller  by  a  head  than  Kenric, 
strong  of  limb  and  sure-footed  as  a  mountain 
goat.  Heedless  of  the  danger  into  which  he 
was  taking  his  king,  he  led  the  way  into  the 
wildest  fastnesses  of  Ben  Bharrain,  by  paths  that 
even  the  hunted  stag  might  fear  to  tread. 

In  vain  did  they  search  for  any  sign   that 


Il8  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

would  bring  them  to  Sir  Piers  de  Currie  and  his 
band  of  hunters.  No  sound  of  rallying  horn, 
no  voice  of  man  reached  their  ears,  but  only 
the  drumming  cry  of  the  wild  grouse  or  the 
short  sharp  bark  of  the  fox ;  and  when,  after 
much  scraping  of  bare  knees,  they  scaled  the 
steep  mountain's  peak  and  stood  upon  the  lofty 
height,  where  the  heather  grew  crisp  and  short, 
they  sat  down  and  let  the  cool  wind  blow 
against  their  flushed  faces.  Then  with  keen 
eyes  they  scanned  each  crag  and  fell,  searching 
in  gully  and  glen,  in  hollow  and  on  height. 
But  though  they  saw  many  herds  of  deer,  yet 
of  huntsmen  they  saw  no  sign. 

"  Methinks,  Allan,"  said  Kenric,  "that  'tis  but 
a  foolish  thing  we  have  done  to  come  on  this 
fruitless  journey.  One  might  wander  for  a 
week  upon  these  barren  wastes  and  yet  never 
encounter  those  whom  we  seek.  Better  had  we 
remained  in  Castle  Ranza.  What  say  you  to 
our  returning  ? " 

"  Could  we  but  get  a  shot  at  a  good  stag,"  said 
Allan,  "  our  journey  might  yet  be  well  repaid." 

"And  wherefore  kill  a  stag,  if  we  must  needs 
leave  his  carcase  for  the  carrion  crows  ?  If  'tis 
practice  with  your  bow  you  want,  why,  have  we 
not  that  in  abundance  on  our  own  island  ? " 

"Ah,  but  to  be  up  here  as  it  were  among  the 
very  clouds ! "  said  Allan.  "  Beats  not  your  heart 
with  quicker  joy,  Kenric,  when  you  breathe  the 


THE  "  WHITE  LADY  "  OF  THE  MOUNTAIN       I  19 

keen  mountain  air — when  your  eyes  rest  upon 
so  vast  a  stretch  of  sea  and  land  as  we  now 
behold  ?  I  know  no  pleasure  so  sweet  as  this." 

"  Methinks,"  said  Kenric, "  that  were  Sir  Piers 
de  Currie  here,  and  I  had  fulfilled  my  purpose 
in  crossing  to  Arran,  then  this  joy  you  speak  of 
were  not  greater  than  my  own.  But  when  I  go 
out  hunting,  Allan,  I  like  to  hunt;  when  I  come 
over  to  ask  a  question  of  our  neighbour,  it  is 
not  to  my  humour  to  be  thus  stranded  upon  a 
hill-top.  So  now,  if  it  please  you,  we  will  return 
to  Ranza." 

"  Nay,  I  go  not  from  these  mountains  ere  I 
have  once  drawn  a  bow,"  said  Allan.  "  'Tis  a 
chance  that  I  do  not  have  too  often ;  and  now 
that  we  are  so  far  I  would  go  to  yonder  gully 
where  but  a  while  ago  we  saw  that  vast  herd  of 
deer  enter.  Come." 

"  Methinks,  Allan  Redmain,"  said  Kenric, 
"  that  'tis  you  who  have  come  with  me  to  Arran, 
not  I  with  you,  and  I  beg  you  to  at  once  return 
with  me." 

Allan  was  about  to  turn  round  upon  Kenric 
with  an  angry  word,  when  suddenly  he  minded 
that  the  lad  was  his  lord  and  king. 

"  Oh,  my  lord,  my  lord !  "  he  cried,  "  pardon 
me  —  I  beg  you  pardon  me,  for  in  truth  I  had 
forgotten  your  kingship.  It  was  wrong  in  me 
thus  to  oppose  my  will  to  yours." 

"  Nay,  Allan,  believe  me,  I  would  not  have 


I2O  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

you  thus  regard  me  at  all  times  as  your  master, 
but  rather  as  your  friend.  Nevertheless,  if  my 
office  is  to  be  remembered,  then  methinks  it  is 
well  that  we  should  search  for  Sir  Piers,  and 
not  think  of  hunting  after  stags.  Now  take 
me  back  to  Castle  Ranza  by  the  nearest  way." 

Allan  then  turned  and  led  the  way  across 
the  eastern  shoulder  of  the  mountain  and  down 
a  wild  ravine  towards  Glen  Catacol.  In  the 
bed  of  the  ravine  there  coursed  a  turbulent  tor- 
rent, swollen  by  the  rains  of  the  night  before. 
They  walked  along  a  narrow  goat-track  from 
which  the  rocky  ground  sloped  sharply  down- 
ward into  the  stream.  From  beyond  a  turning 
in  this  path  they  heard  the  swelling  roar  of  a 
waterfall.  Scarce  had  they  made  this  turning, 
when,  above  the  noise  of  the  cataract,  they 
heard  the  yelping  of  a  deer-hound.  Kenric  was 
now  in  advance  of  his  companion,  and  they 
were  just  above  the  point  where  the  waterfall 
turned  over  into  a  deep  chasm. 

"  A  stag !  a  stag !  "  cried  Kenric  as  he  promptly 
took  an  arrow  and  fixed  it  to  his  bow-string. 

Allan  followed  his  example.  Kenric  knelt 
down  on  one  knee  and  levelled  his  arrow. 
Allan  made  ready  to  shoot  over  Kenric's  shoul- 
der. A  noble  stag,  with  wide-spreading  antlers 
of  twelve  points,  seemed  almost  to  be  flying 
towards  them  along  the  narrow  path.  An 
arrow  was  half-buried  in  his  bleeding  flank ;  a 


THE  "WHITE  LADY    OF  THE  MOUNTAIN     121 

pair  of  shaggy  deer-hounds  were  behind  in  mad 
pursuit. 

"Now!"  cried  Kenric. 

The  bow-strings  twanged,  and  the  two  arrows 
speeding  in  their  deadly  flight  plunged  side  by 
side  into  the  stag's  broad  chest.  The  noble 
animal  stumbled,  regained  his  footing,  and  ran 
on.  Nearer  and  nearer  he  came,  panting,  moan- 
ing, glaring  with  wild  and  frightened  eyes.  To 
his  right  was  a  steep  wall  of  rock,  to  his  left  a 
fall  of  thirty  feet  into  the  surging  waters  below 
the  cataract.  At  his  heels  were  the  dogs,  in 
front  of  him  the  two  youths  ready  with  another 
charge  of  arrows.  There  was  no  way  of  escape. 

"  Lie  down,  my  lord  !  —  quick,  lie  down  ! " 
cried  Allan,  firing  his  dart.  The  arrow  rattled 
upon  the  stag's  antlers.  The  stag  bounded 
forward  with  one  of  the  hounds  upon  his  back, 
then  stumbled  upon  his  knees.  Kenric  rose 
and  ran  to  dirk  him  ere  he  should  have  time  to 
regain  his  feet. 

"  Come  back,  come  back !  "  shouted  Allan. 

But  Kenric,  little  heeding  the  danger,  or  not 
hearing  the  cry  of  warning  amid  the  roaring  of 
the  water,  was  about  to  draw  his  dirk,  when  the 
stag  fell  over  with  the  weight  of  the  second 
hound.  One  of  his  antler-points  caught  in  the 
string  of  Kenric's  bow. 

Then  Allan  Redmain  saw  a  sight  that  filled 
him  with  dismay.  Kenric,  still  holding  his  bow 


122  THE   THIRSTY    SWORD 

that  was  entangled  in  the  stag's  horns,  lost  his 
footing ;  the  stag  rolled  over ;  and  Kenric  fell, 
with  his  legs  astride  of  the  animal's  belly. 
Then  all  four  —  Kenric,  the  stag,  and  the  two 
dogs  —  struggling  each  with  his  own  purpose, 
slipped  swiftly  down  the  sloping  precipice,  and 
plunged  into  the  deep  and  surging  linn  below 
the  foaming  waterfall. 

Allan  Redmain,  alone  now  upon  that  narrow 
path,  uttered  a  loud  cry  as  he  saw  his  young 
master  disappear  through  the  mist  of  spray 
that  rose  from  below  the  cataract.  Well  did 
he  know  that  even  if  Earl  Kenric  had  not  been 
killed,  he  yet  was  unable  to  swim.  Thoughts 
more  dreadful  than  he  had  ever  known  coursed 
through  Allan's  mind  at  that  moment.  Ken- 
ric the  young  king,  the  only  hope  of  Bute, 
killed  ?  and  he,  Allan  Redmain,  had  not  saved 
him ! 

He  looked  around  for  help.  In  that  desolate 
place  what  help  could  he  expect  ?  But  he  tar- 
ried not  long  to  think  of  how  he  should  act. 
At  the  risk  of  his  own  life  he  was  bound  to  do 
what  he  could.  Grasping  his  long-bow  in  his 
two  hands  and  using  it  as  a  skid,  and  digging 
his  heels  firmly  into  the  stony  ground  of  the 
sloping  precipice,  he  went  down  foot  by  foot, 
now  swaying  this  way  and  now  that  as  the  loose 
stones  slipped  before  his  feet.  Down,  down  he 
went  until  he  came  at  last  to  the  level  top  of  a 


THE  "WHITE  LADY    OF  THE  MOUNTAIN     123 

steep  rock  that  stood  over  the  brink  of  the  deep 
linn. 

In  the  eddying  water  that  swirled  and  boiled 
as  in  a  cauldron  at  the  base  of  the  cataract  he 
saw  one  of  the  stag-hounds  struggling,  trying 
vainly  to  keep  its  head  above  the  surface;  but 
nowhere  Kenric,  nowhere  even  the  stag.  He 
lay  down  upon  the  rock  and  drew  himself  to  its 
edge  that  he  might  look  below  into  the  water 
at  its  base.  But  the  water  rushed  past  in  bub- 
bling sweep,  and  yet  there  was  no  sign. 

Then,  still  in  hope  that  he  might  yet  find  the 
young  king,  he  rose  to  his  feet  and  threw  him- 
self headlong  into  the  linn.  Deep,  deep  he 
sank,  and  the  strong  undercurrent  tossed  about 
him,  seized  him  in  its  fearful  grip,  and  swept 
him  downward  in  its  course.  Rising  to  the 
surface  he  tried  with  all  his  strength  to  swim 
against  the  current  to  the  spot  where  Kenric 
had  fallen  in.  Not  long  had  he  thus  endeav- 
oured when  his  strength  failed  him.  He  felt 
himself  being  drawn  under.  It  came  to  be  a 
matter  of  saving  his  own  life  now  —  saving  it 
that  he  might  live  to  carry  the  sad  news  home 
to  Rothesay.  So  he  turned  round  with  the 
stream  and  swam  towards  a  great  flat  rock  in 
mid-current.  As  he  neared  it  a  strange  sight 
met  his  eyes. 

On  the  rock  was  the  dead  stag.  A  stream 
of  crimson  blood  trickled  down  from  its  broad 


124  THE   THIRSTY   SWORD 

chest,  staining  the  white  rock.  Sitting  upon 
the  stag,  with  folded  arms  and  dripping  hair, 
and  eyes  fixed  in  dreamy  admiration  upon 
the  tumbling  waters  of  the  White  Lady  Falls, 
was  Kenric  the  king.  The  great  cataract 
curled  over  the  topmost  rocks  in  a  smooth 
brown  volume,  turned  into  pure  white  foam  as 
it  fell  and  bounded  with  roaring  noise  into  the 
deep  chasm  below.  A  cloud  of  spray  rose  from 
the  depths,  and  where  the  sunbeams  crossed  it 
there  was  a  beautiful  arc  of  light  showing  all 
the  colours  of  the  rainbow.  Kenric  seemed  to 
be  lost  in  contemplation  of  the  wild  scene. 

Suddenly  he  turned  his  head  and  looked  up 
the  frowning  hillside.  Above  the  noise  of  the 
falling  water  he  had  heard  his  name  called. 
He  stood  up,  and  holding  on  with  one  hand  to 
the  stag's  spreading  antler,  with  the  other  he 
shaded  his  eyes  and  searched  for  a  sign  of  Allan 
Redmain.  The  goat-track  was  hidden  from 
his  view;  but  at  the  spot  where  he  had  first 
seen  the  stag  running  he  now  saw  a  party  of 
five  men,  who,  with  their  leader,  Sir  Piers  de 
Currie,  were  following  the  trail  of  the  wounded 
animal. 

Kenric  then  knelt  against  the  dead  stag,  and, 
thrusting  his  fingers  into  his  mouth,  gave  a 
shrill  whistle. 

At  that  moment  Allan  Redmain  clambered 
upon  the  rock  at  his  side,  emptied  his  horn  of 


IN    SOLEMN    ASSIZE  125 

the  water  that  was  in  it,  and  blew  as  lusty  a 
blast  as  his  enfeebled  breath  could  send  forth. 

Kenric  started  back  at  the  sound  like  one 
who  had  seen  a  ghost,  for  he  had  known  noth- 
ing of  Allan's  movements  until  this  moment. 
But  now  he  quickly  understood  what  his  friend 
had  done  for  his  sake,  and  he  put  his  hand 
upon  Allan's  shoulder  lovingly. 

Within  a  little  while  the  two  lads  were  res- 
cued from  their  perilous  situation.  With  the 
help  of  the  ropes  that  the  men  of  Ranza  had 
brought  to  bind  the  deer  upon  their  ponies' 
backs,  first  Kenric,  then  the  dead  stag,  and 
lastly  Allan  Redmain,  were  taken  off  the  rock. 
The  two  hounds  were,  however,  lost. 

Saving  for  a  few  bruises  and  scratches, 
neither  Kenric  nor  Allan  had  received  much 
hurt.  But  this  accident,  which  might  have 
proved  so  disastrous  to  the  isle  of  Bute,  bound 
the  Earl  Kenric  and  Allan  Redmain  together 
in  a  close  fellowship,  which  lasted  until  they 
were  both  gray-haired  old  men. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

IN    SOLEMN    ASSIZE 


ON  the  day  that  followed  that  of  his  advent- 
ure among  the  Arran  mountains,  Kenric 
went  to  the  seat  of  judgment  at  Ascog,  there 


126  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

in  solemn  assize  to  administer  the  laws  of 
his  dominions.  The  men  of  Bute  were  peace- 
ful, and  the  offences  and  charges  that  were 
brought  forward  on  that  day  were  of  no  great 
gravity. 

On  taking  his  seat  before  the  twelve  wise 
men,  he  opened  the  assize  and  called  for  the 
first  charge,  whereupon  an  odaller  from  one  of 
the  farmsteads  of  Ardbeg  accused  one  of  the 
islanders  of  having  made  theft  of  a  young  steer. 
Kenric  asked  whether  the  thief  had  driven  the 
young  ox  away  or  carried  it,  and  explained  that 
the  stealing  of  such  prey  as  required  to  be 
driven  was  a  higher  offence  than  if  it  were 
carried  off.  A  witness  then  proved  that  the 
thief,  being  a  strong  man,  had  bound  the  steer's 
legs  with  thongs  and  thrown  the  animal  over 
his  shoulder,  and  so  made  off  with  it.  And 
being  proved  guilty,  he  was  made  to  pay  a  fine 
of  twenty  pence. 

Then  there  came  another  who  charged  his 
enemy  with  having  hunted  hares  and  wild-fowl 
on  lands  that  were  not  his  own.  But  the  ac- 
cused man  was  held  guiltless,  for,  said  the  young 
judge,  they  had  there  no  tyrannous  forest  laws, 
and  every  man  was  free  to  hunt  wheresoever 
he  wished,  and  to  take  what  game  he  might. 
And  again,  a  fisherman  was  accused  of  having 
charged  two  pennies  for  a  basket  of  fish  worth 
only  half  that  sum ;  and  Kenric  said  that  the 


IN    SOLEMN    ASSIZE  127 

fisherman  was  poor  and  hard-working,  and 
that  he  who  bought  the  fish  was  over-greedy, 
and  the  case  was  dismissed.  Next  a  poor  cat- 
tleman of  Kingarth  came  forward,  showing  a 
knife-wound  in  his  arm,  and  saying  that  another 
had  stabbed  him  and  also  struck  him  in  the 
mouth,  knocking  out  a  tooth;  and  Kenric 
ordered  that  the  man's  wound  should  be 
measured  with  a  rule,  and  it  was  three  inches 
in  length  and  a  half  inch  in  breadth.  Then  for 
the  length  of  the  wound  a  fine  of  twenty-four 
pence  was  imposed  upon  the  wrong-doer,  for 
its  breadth  six  pennies,  and  for  the  tooth  twelve 
other  pennies. 

Then  Kenric  asked  if  there  were  any  further 
matters  to  be  judged. 

"  Yes,  my  lord,"  said  Duncan  Graham,  enter- 
ing the  circle  of  the  court.  "  There  is  a  boon 
that  I  your  servant  would  humbly  ask." 

"  And  what  boon  is  that  ? "  asked  Kenric, 
already  guessing  what  it  might  be. 

"  It  is,"  said  Duncan,  standing  to  his  full 
height  and  growing  very  red  — "  It  is  that 
there  lives  with  Elspeth  Blackfell,  over  at  Kil- 
mory,  one  whom  men  name  Aasta  the  Fair, 
and  she  is  a  thrall.  The  boon  I  ask  is  that 
you  will  in  your  mercy  remove  from  her  the 
yoke  of  bondage,  for  she  is  a  passing  worthy 
maid,  and  it  is  no  fault  of  hers,  but  only  her 
misfortune  that  she  is  a  thrall ;  and,  so  please 


128  THE    THIRSTY   SWORD 

you,  my  lord,  I  love  her  well,  and  would  make 
her  my  lawful  wife,  for  a  freeman  may  not  wed 
a  bondmaid  and  claim  her  as  his  own." 

"  Show  me  this  maiden,  that  I  may  speak 
with  her,"  said  Kenric.  And  Aasta  stood 
forth,  looking  very  beautiful  in  a  robe  of  white, 
and  with  her  eyes  downcast,  and  her  hands 
clasped  before  her. 

"  Tell  me  your  name  and  history,"  said  the 
young  king. 

"  My  name,  my  lord,  is  Aasta,  and  nothing 
else,"  said  she.  "  I  am  a  thrall  to  Sir  Oscar 
Redmain,  who  claimed  me  as  his  bondmaid 
when  I  was  but  a  little  child,  for  it  was  upon 
his  lands  that  I  was  found.  Whence  I  came  I 
cannot  tell ;  but  men  say  that  it  was  with  the 
wild  north  winds  that  I  was  brought  to  Bute, 
from  the  regions  of  frost  and  snow.  Of  my 
parentage  I  know  naught,  saving  only  that 
Elspeth  Blackfell  has  oft  declared  that  my 
parents  were  of  noble  station,  and  that  they 
dwelt  in  the  land  of  the  Norsemen." 

"  That  you  are  of  gentle  blood  I  can  well 
believe,"  said  Kenric  softly,  as  he  regarded  her 
surpassing  beauty.  "  But  do  you  then  remem- 
ber nothing  of  your  earliest  life  ?  " 

"  All  that  yet  lingers  in  my  mind,  my  lord,  is 
the  memory  of  my  mother,"  said  Aasta.  "  She 
was  wild  and  unruly  as  the  winter  storm,  and 
cruel  as  an  angry  wolf." 


IN    SOLEMN    ASSIZE  I2Q 

"  And  your  father  ?  " 

"  He  was  a  viking,  who,  though  he  loved  me 
passing  well,  was  ever  on  the  sea,  roving  and 
fighting  in  his  great  ship." 

"  Whosoever  you  be,  Aasta,  and  whence- 
soever  you  came,"  said  Kenric,  "  I  now  declare 
you  to  be  free  of  your  bondage.  For  the  space 
of  a  year  and  a  day  you  shall  remain  upon  Sir 
Oscar  Redmain's  lands  as  his  paid  servant,  but 
not  as  his  thrall,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time 
the  Abbot  of  St.  Blane's  shall  give  you  in 
marriage  to  the  brave  man  who  will  then  claim 
you,  and  you  shall  be  that  man's  lawful  wedded 
wife." 

Then,  when  Duncan  Graham  led  the  maid 
away,  Kenric  asked  if  there  yet  remained  any 
man  there  present  who  had  any  claim  to 
make,  or  grievance  to  be  redressed ;  at  which 
David  Blair,  a  rich  farmer  of  Scalpsie,  called 
for  judgment  upon  one  who  had  done  him  a 
wrong. 

"  What  is  your  suit  ?  "  asked  the  king. 

"  It  is,"  said  the  farmer,  "  that,  ten  days  since, 
my  watch-dog  was  cruelly  slain.  He  was  the 
best  watch-dog  in  all  Bute,  and  never  dared 
beast  of  prey  or  man  of  stealth  come  near  my 
homestead  but  to  his  hurt.  But,  since  my  dog 
has  been  slain,  three  gimmer  sheep,  and  two 
ewe  lambs,  and  four  young  goats  have  been 
carried  off  by  the  wolves.  And  my  good  wife 


I3O  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

Marjory  has  lost  seven  of  her  best  chickens, 
that  have  been  taken  by  the  foxes." 

"  Who  is  the  man  that  so  cruelly  slew  your 
dog  ?  "  asked  Kenric. 

"  It  was  young  Allan  Redmain  of  Kilmory, 
and  him  do  I  charge,"  said  the  farmer. 

"Allan  Redmain!"  exclaimed  Kenric,  in 
alarm  at  the  thought  of  sitting  in  judgment 
upon  his  own  friend.  Then  he  stirred  uneasily 
in  his  seat,  and  bit  his  lips  in  trying  to  see  a 
way  of  escape  out  of  his  difficulty.  He  had 
sworn  lasting  friendship  for  Allan,  and  remem- 
bering the  adventure  of  the  day  before,  when 
Allan  had  risked  his  life  for  him,  he  could  not 
bear  the  thought  of  giving  sentence  of  punish- 
ment if  it  should  be  proved  that  Allan  was 
guilty.  Thrown  thus  betwixt  friendship  and 
duty,  he  sat  for  many  moments  in  silent  thought, 
wishing  that  he  was  no  longer  a  king  who  had 
bound  himself  to  do  justice  to  all  men.  But 
at  last  he  called  aloud  for  Allan  Redmain,  and 
Allan  promptly  appeared,  albeit  with  lowered 
head  and  guilty  looks. 

"  Now,  David  Blair,"  said  Kenric  with  tremu- 
lous voice,  "  repeat  your  accusation,  and  woe 
betide  you  if  in  malice  you  say  aught  but  the 
holy  truth." 

"  My  lord !  "  said  the  farmer  in  surprise. 
"Am  I  then  to  be  doubted  ?  And  is  my 
word  less  to  be  trusted  than  that  of  any  other 


IN    SOLEMN    ASSIZE 

honest  man  of  Bute  ?  I  repeat  that  it  was 
Allan  Redmain  who  slew  my  dog  out  of  mere 
boyish  sport." 

Allan  looked  at  his  accuser  with  frowning 
brows. 

"Allan  Redmain,  are  you  guilty  or  innocent 
of  this  offence  ?  "  asked  the  young  judge. 

"  In  that  I  slew  the  dog,  my  lord,  I  am  guilty," 
said  Allan.  "  But  in  that  the  act  was  not  with- 
out just  cause,  I  am  innocent.  It  was  in  the 
hay-field  of  Scalpsie,  where  with  a  companion 
I  was  walking.  The  dog  ran  up  to  us  as  it 
were  to  attack  us.  My  comrade  shook  his  fist 
at  the  dog,  and  thereupon  it  sprang  at  his 
throat,  and  I  took  out  my  dirk  and  slew  the 
brute." 

"  Brute,  say  you  ? "  exclaimed  the  farmer. 
"  My  lord,  the  dog  meant  no  manner  of  harm, 
and  it  was  a  cruel  thing  to  kill  him  so.  I  am 
now  without  a  watch-dog,  and  must  I  needs 
suffer  my  sheep  to  be  devoured  by  the  wolves 
because,  forsooth,  a  hot-headed  lad  would  use 
his  knife  upon  my  poor  dumb  friend  ?  I  ask 
for  redress,  and  redress  I  shall  have." 

"  Who  was  the  comrade  of  whom  you  speak  ? " 
asked  Kenric  of  Allan. 

"  I  refuse  to  say,  my  lord,"  said  Allan  firmly. 

"  It  was  your  own  brother  Alpin  who  is  dead, 
my  lord,"  said  David  Blair. 

"  What !  and  you  would  have  me  punish  one 


132  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

who  so  defended  my  own  brother? "  cried  Kenric. 
"  No,  David  Blair,  I  cannot  do  it." 

But  at  that  the  farmer  protested  warmly,  and 
declared  that  he  would  have  justice  done  him, 
and  that  it  was  his  lord's  duty  to  deal  fairly  by  all 
men,  notwithstanding  that  Allan  Redmain  was 
the  son  of  the  steward.  So  there  was  nothing 
for  it  but  for  Kenric  to  pronounce  the  penalty. 

"  It  is  an  old  law,  held  sacred  by  custom,"  he 
falteringly  said,  "that  if  one  slays  another  man's 
watch-dog,  the  slayer  must  himself  protect  for  a 
year  and  a  day  the  unwatched  homestead.  And 
he  is  accountable  to  the  owner  for  any  scathe 
that  may  befall  within  that  period  after  the 
slaying  of  the  dog.  This,  Allan  Redmain,  is 
the  penalty  you  must  pay,  and  less  than  this  it 
is  not  in  my  power  to  impose,  for  law  is  law, 
and  I  am  but  its  instrument." 

Then  after  the  assize  was  over,  Allan  went  to 
Kenric  and  asked  him  what  was  now  to  be  done 
concerning  their  projected  journey  into  Scot- 
land, for  that  now  he  was  condemned  to  act  for 
twelve  long  months  as  a  miserable  watch-dog, 
it  was  no  longer  possible  for  him  to  leave  the 
island,  and  be  absent  for  a  night. 

The  same  difficulty  had  already  presented 
itself  to  Kenric,  who  felt  indeed  that  he  would 
rather  have  cut  off  his  own  hand  than  pass  that 
sentence  upon  his  friend.  He  looked  at  Allan 
with  pleading  eyes. 


IN    SOLEMN    ASSIZE  133 

"Allan,"  he  said,  "how  can  you  forgive  me 
for  this  that  I  have  done?  And  how  can  I  now 
help  you  out  of  this  miserable  dog's  work  ?  Me- 
thinks  that  on  the  cold  frosty  nights  when  you 
are  out  there,  minding  this  churlish  farmer's 
sheep,  it  will  not  be  easily  that  I  shall  lie  in  my 
warm  bed.  But  how  to  help  it,  I  do  not  know. 
Haply  the  law  was  made  for  vagabond  thieves 
and  cattle-lifters,  but  it  still  is  law,  and  in  my 
place  I  could  not  well  evade  the  judgment." 

"  Think  not  that  I  blame  you,  my  lord,"  said 
Allan  cheerily.  "  I  am  not  the  steward's  son 
without  knowing^  somewhat  of  a  judge's  difficul- 
ties in  punishing  his  own  friends.  But,  alas!  I 
had  set  my  heart  upon  being  your  attendant  on 
this  journey  of  homage." 

"As  to  that,"  said  Kenric,  "you  need  not 
concern  yourself.  I  will  not  break  my  promise 
to  take  you.  As  to  Blair's  flocks  and  his  good 
wife's  chickens,  we  can  send  the  lad  Lulach  to 
watch  them,  and  I  warrant  me  they  will  be  safe. 
So  come  you  over  to  Rothesay  at  the  time  of 
the  flood-tide  two  days  hence,  and  we  will  then 
set  sail  for  Dumbarton." 


134  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

CHAPTER   XV 

THE    DOMINION    OF   THE    WESTERN    ISLES 

WHEN  Kenric  met  Sir  Piers  de  Currie  in 
the  wilds  of  the  Arran  mountains,  and 
spoke  with  that  doughty  knight  of  his  need  of 
seeing  the  King  of  Scots,  he  learned  to  his  sat- 
isfaction that  his  expedition  would  not  carry 
him  farther  into  the  mainland  than  the  castle 
of  Dumbarton. 

"  It  chances  well  that  you  are  to  make  this 
journey  so  soon,"  said  Sir  Piers,  "for,  having 
failed  to  see  his  Majesty  on  my  late  visit  to  the 
palace  of  Scone,  I  heard  that  he  was  to  come 
westward  to  the  Clyde  in  a  few  days'  time,  and 
if  it  so  please  you,  we  will  go  to  Dumbarton 
together." 

"  I  will  make  ready  my  best  galley,  then,"  said 
Kenric,  "  and  await  you  in  Rothesay." 

"Agreed,"  said  the  knight,  "  and  it  may  be 
also  that  his  Majesty  will  wish  you  to  go  upon 
the  mission  that  your  father  was  soon  to  have 
undertaken  to  Islay  and  Mull.  'Tis  passing 
unfortunate  that  you  are  so  young,  Earl  Kenric, 
and  so  little  experienced  in  the  arts  of  diplomacy 
that  so  marked  your  good  father.  But  methinks 
his  Majesty  will  be  well  pleased  to  see  you,  and 


THE  DOMINION  OF  THE  WESTERN  ISLES       135 

to  know  what  manner  of  man  he  has  now  to 
depend  upon  in  his  future  dealings  with  the 
Norsemen.  Your  youth  will  assuredly  be  no 
disadvantage  in  the  eyes  of  one  who  was  mon- 
arch over  all  Scotland  at  eight  years  old." 

"  Think  you,  Sir  Piers,  that  we  shall  at  last 
come  to  a  war  with  these  Norsemen  ?  "  asked 
Allan  Redmain. 

"  Of  that  I  have  little  doubt,  Allan,"  said  Sir 
Piers.  "  Methinks  the  time  is  not  far  distant 
when  the  possession  of  the  Western  Isles  must 
be  determined  at  the  point  of  the  sword." 

This  promise  of  coming  strife  was  by  no 
means  unwelcome  to  Allan  Redmain,  for  those 
peaceful  and  prosperous  times  gave  but  few 
occasions  for  the  earnest  exercise  of  the  sword, 
though,  indeed,  the  weapons  of  the  chase  were 
in  constant  use,  and  Allan  felt  the  young  blood 
course  through  his  veins  with  quickened  excite- 
ment at  the  prospect  of  engaging  in  a  pitched 
battle  against  the  valiant  vikings  of  the  North. 

As  to  Kenric,  the  one  thing  which  made  him 
somewhat  less  eager  than  Allan  was  his  knowl- 
edge that  there  was  now  no  immediate  hope  of 
meeting  the  slayer  of  his  father  in  a  hand-to- 
hand  encounter.  The  outlawed  Roderic  was 
now  far  away  on  his  pilgrimage  to  the  Holy 
Land,  and  the  vengeance  might  never  be  ful- 
filled. If  war  should  come,  and  Kenric  himself 
be  slain,  then  Roderic  was  the  next  heir  to  the 


136  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

lordship  of  Bute,  and  whether  King  Alexander 
or  King  Hakon  became  the  overlord  and  mon- 
arch, it  mattered  little,  for  Roderic  would  still 
make  claim  to  his  father's  dominions. 

Earl  Hamish  of  Bute  had  but  a  few  days 
before  his  tragic  death  been  into  Scotland  to 
render  account  to  Alexander  the  Third  con- 
cerning his  mission  to  the  King  of  Norway. 
That  mission  had  failed  in  its  object.  The 
letters  of  Henry  of  England  and  his  Majesty 
of  Scots  had  not  succeeded  in  persuading  the 
Norse  monarch  to  resign  his  claims  to  the 
dominion  of  the  Western  Isles.  King  Hakon 
claimed  that  those  lands,  from  the  Lewis  in  the 
north  even  to  the  Isle  of  Man  in  the  south, 
..were  his  by  right  of  both  conquest  and  posses- 
sion, and  that  each  and  all  of  the  island  kings, 
or  jarls,  were  bound  in  fealty  and  vassalage  to 
Norway.  On  the  other  hand,  King  Alexander 
claimed  that  he  held  yet  stronger  rights  of 
sovereignty,  and  that  the  islands  were  even  by 
nature  intended  to  be  part  of  Scotland. 

The  Western  Isles,  and  more  especially  that 
group  lying  south  of  the  holy  island  of  lona, 
were  at  this  time  in  a  most  prosperous  condi- 
tion. Together  with  a  large  tract  of  country 
on  the  north-east  of  Ireland,  they  formed  a  sort 
of  naval  empire,  with  the  open  sea  as  its  centre. 
They  were  densely  populated.  The  useful  arts 
were  carried  to  a  degree  of  perfection  unsur- 


THE  DOMINION  OF  THE  WESTERN  ISLES       137 

passed  in  other  European  countries.  The 
learned  Irish  clergy  had  established  their  well- 
built  monasteries  over  all  the  islands  even 
before  the  arrival  of  the  Norse  colonists,  and 
great  numbers  of  Britons,  flying  hither  as  an 
asylum  when  their  own  country  was  ravaged 
by  the  Saxons,  had  carried  with  them  the  re- 
mains of  science,  manufactures,  and  wealth 
introduced  by  their  Roman  masters. 

The  habits  of  the  islanders  were  piratical  — 
the  natural  result  of  the  possession  of  ships  — 
and  their  conquests  extended  along  the  east  of 
Ireland,  the  coast  of  Cumberland,  and  a  large 
part  of  the  mainland  of  Scotland,  including  the 
whole  county  of  Caithness.  The  Norwegian 
king,  an  ambitious  and  despotic  monarch,  who 
had  risen  to  power  from  the  position  of  a  poor 
comb-maker's  son,  hoped  by  the  help  of  these 
dependants  to  invade  and  conquer  the  whole 
of  Scotland,  and  he  was  encouraged  to  the 
attempt  by  such  self-seeking  men  as  Roderic 
of  Gigha  and  Erland  of  Jura,  who  made  no 
scruple  to  enlist  themselves  in  any  cause  that 
gave  promise  of  increased  power. 

It  was  natural  that  the  Scots  kings,  as  they 
increased  their  strength,  should  wish  to  annex 
these  districts.  But  the  efforts  of  Somerled  of 
Argyll  in  the  twelfth  century,  and  of  King 
Alexander  the  Second  in  1249,  had  done  no 
more  than  secure  the  few  islands  lying  within 


138  THE   THIRSTY    SWORD 

the  shelter  of  the  Firth  of  Clyde.  Earl  John 
of  Islay  and  many  of  his  neighbours  were  now 
paying  homage  to  both  Norway  and  Scotland. 
The  isle  of  Gigha,  which  had  been  a  posses- 
sion of  Alpin  of  Bute,  had  been  bestowed  at 
that  chief's  death  upon  his  younger  son  Rod- 
eric.  But  Roderic,  as  has  been  told,  had  gone 
over  entirely  to  King  Hakon,  and  had  refused 
to  acknowledge  his  vassalage  to  his  rightful 
sovereign  of  Scotland.  Thus,  at  the  time  when 
young  Kenric  became  the  lord  of  Bute,  the 
whole  of  the  isles  west  of  the  peninsula  of 
Kintyre  were  in  the  hands  of  petty  kings,  who, 
holding  lands  of  both  crowns,  were  still  uncer- 
tain to  whom  they  should  pay  their  paramount 
allegiance. 

During  the  minority  of  Alexander  the  Third 
all  efforts  to  reduce  the  isles  were  abandoned. 
But  now  that  the  king  was  no  longer  a  boy,  he 
was  resolved  to  compel  all  these  vassals  of  Nor- 
way to  renounce  their  allegiance  and  acknowl- 
edge their  adherence  to  the  Scottish  crown. 

On  the  appointed  day  Sir  Piers  de  Currie 
crossed  over  to  Bute. 

He  was  a  man  of  middle  age,  tall  and  strong. 
His  gigantic  limbs  were  hard  and  stout  as  the 
trunk  of  an  oak  sapling.  He  wielded  the  lon- 
gest sword  and  the  heaviest  battle-axe  in  Bute 
and  Arran,  and  he  was  the  best  bowman  in  all 
the  lands  of  the  Clyde.  His  life  among  the 


THE  DOMINION  OF  THE  WESTERN  ISLES       I  39 

mountains  of  Arran  had  given  him  a  mighty 
power  of  endurance,  for  it  was  his  habit  to  rove 
for  many  days  over  the  craggy  heights  of  Goat- 
fell,  climbing  where  none  else  could  climb, 
slaying  deer,  spearing  salmon,  following  the 
wild  wolf  to  his  lair,  sleeping  on  the  bare 
heather,  drinking  naught  save  the  crystal  water 
of  the  mountain  burns,  and  eating  the  simplest 
food.  His  band  of  retainers,  though  scarcely 
less  strong  of  limb  than  their  master,  were 
wont  to  say  that  their  labours  were  even  as 
those  of  the  mythical  Sigmund,  who  was  con- 
demned to  make  a  new  island  in  the  ocean  of 
the  rocks  that  he  clove  from  the  topmost  peaks 
of  the  Mountain  of  the  Winds.  And  yet  they 
loved  their  master  by  reason  of  his  strength 
and  power,  for  he  was  the  king's  nephew  in 
Arran,  and  would  some  day  be  the  lord  of  that 
isle  and  of  the  great  castle  of  Brodick. 

Landing  on  the  shores  of  St.  Ninian's  Bay, 
he  strode  with  great  strides  towards  Rothesay, 
and  Lulach  the  herd-boy  seeing  him,  thought 
him  the  most  gallant  warrior  in  all  the  world, 
and  wondered  what  his  business  might  be  in 
Bute,  and  why  he  should  have  come  over  with- 
out a  train  of  attendants.  It  took  the  knight 
but  a  little  time  to  cover  the  four  miles  between 
St.  Ninian's  and  Rothesay,  and  on  the  sloping 
strand  of  the  bay  he  found  Earl  Kenric  busy 
with  his  retainers  carrying  stores  down  to  a 


I4O  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

great  galley  that  was  moored  against  a  stone 
pier  in  the  little  creek  near  to  the  castle  gates. 

This  ship,  which  was  built  in  the  shipyard  of 
Rothesay,  was  entirely  of  oak  and  of  great  di- 
mensions, ornamented  with  richly-carved  drag- 
ons overlaid  with  beaten  gold.  It  had  ten 
banks  of  oars,  each  of  the  twenty  long  oars  being 
rowed  by  two  sturdy  islanders.  There  was  also 
a  stout  mast,  upon  which,  when  the  wind  served, 
a  wide-spreading  square  sail  might  be  hoisted. 

"  A  gallant  bark,  by  my  faith !  a  gallant  bark, 
Kenric  !  "  said  Sir  Piers  as  he  stepped  on  board 
and  walked  towards  the  high  poop.  "  Would 
that  we  had  a  dozen  such  vessels,  and  manned 
by  as  brave  a  set  of  islanders  as  you  have  here ! 
Then  might  we  hope  to  make  a  bold  stand 
against  any  sea-rover  out  of  Norway." 

"  Five  other  galleys  the  like  of  this  are  now 
lying  at  safe  anchor  in  the  bay  of  Kames,"  said 
Kenric ;  "  and  had  we  yet  another  half  dozen, 
there  are  men-at-arms  in  plenty  to  man  them  — 
all  trained  in  the  use  of  sword  and  long-bow, 
and  eager  enough,  I  warrant,  to  have  a  fling  at 
Hakon's  valiant  vikings." 

"  Right  glad  am  I  to  hear  it,"  said  the  knight, 
"  for  he  who  is  prepared  has  half  his  battle 
fought.  Ah,  Allan,"  he  added,  seeing  young 
Redmain  already  on  board,  "  I  was  but  now 
about  to  ask  if  you  had  not  yet  come  across  from 
Kilmory.  Where  is  Sir  Oscar  this  morning  ? " 


THE  DOMINION  OF  THE  WESTERN  ISLES        14! 

"  Hard  at  work  in  the  fields,"  answered  Allan. 
"  And  he  bade  me  tell  you  that  should  King 
Alexander  commission  you  on  any  dangerous 
enterprise,  there  are  threescore  of  fishermen  at 
your  service  over  at  Kilmory." 

"  'Tis  well.  And  now  I  see  you  have  not  for- 
gotten the  king's  tribute,"  said  Sir  Piers,  as  he 
observed  the  pair  of  gerfalcons  that  Allan  was 
tending.  "  Could  his  Majesty  receive  a  like  trib- 
ute from  other  vassals,  methinks  there  would 
be  need  to  supply  him  also  with  a  few  score  of 
herons  to  fly  them  against.  But  the  tribute 
customs  are  well  ordered.  One  sends  a  hart, 
another  a  hound,  one  a  heron,  and  another  a 
hawk.  My  lord  of  Arran's  offering  is  but  two 
dead  golden  eagles  —  and  for  the  matter  of  that 
his  Majesty  might  have  all  the  eagles  in  Arran, 
and  welcome,  for  we  have  over  many  of  them." 

"  Stand  by  your  oars,  my  lads  ! "  cried  Ken- 
ric,  balancing  himself  upon  the  gunwale  and 
stepping  aft.  "  Now,  Duncan,  heave  off  the 
ropes,  you  laggard.  So.  Ready  all !  " 

Then  the  boatswain,  standing  by  the  mast 
upon  the  centre  gangway  running  fore  and  aft 
between  the  two  sets  of  rowers,  blew  his  horn, 
and  the  rowers  pushed  up  their  oars  at  arm's 
length  that  the  blades  might  catch  the  water, 
then  springing  upon  the  thwarts  which  they 
gripped  with  their  bare  feet  they  threw  them- 
selves back  with  all  their  weight  and  strength, 


142  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

and  the  ship  began  to  glide  through  the  clear 
water.  And  so,  springing  up  again  as  before 
for  another  pull,  the  men  went  to  their  hard 
work  with  a  will,  singing  a  wild  Gaelic  boat-song 
in  measured  time  with  the  strains  of  Dovenald's 
harp,  and  the  galley,  with  ever-increasing  speed, 
sailed  out  into  the  mid-bay.  When  there  was  a 
good  way  on  her  the  work  at  the  oars  became 
easier  and  the  song  sank  down  into  a  subdued 
crooning  sound  that  was  soothing  to  hear. 

The  shipmaster  steered  them  out  into  the 
broader  sea  past  Toward  Point,  and  two  hours' 
good  rowing  up  the  firth  brought  them  abreast 
of  the  fortress  of  Dunoon.  When  the  course 
was  turned  eastward  the  oars  were  shipped  and 
the  great  sail  was  set  to  catch  the  light  western 
breeze,  and  then  they  went  speeding  up  the 
Clyde  to  Dumbarton,  whose  strong-built  castle 
stood  upon  a  high,  steep  rock  on  the  northern 
bank  of  the  river. 

"  Alas ! "  said  Sir  Piers  de  Currie,  as  he 
turned  his  clear  gray  eyes  towards  the  battle- 
ments, "  much  do  I  fear  that  we  are  doomed  to 
disappointment.  The  King  has  not  arrived ! 
Had  it  been  so  we  should  have  seen  the  brave 
flag  of  the  Scottish  lion  flying  upon  those  tow- 
ers." 

"  That  were  indeed  a  disappointment,"  said 
Allan  Redmain  regretfully. 

"  Nevertheless,"  said  Kenric,  "  we  can  at  least 


THE  DOMINION  OF  THE  WESTERN  ISLES       143 

leave  the  tribute  at  the  castle,  and  it  may  be 
that  the  warden  can  tell  us  when  his  Majesty  is 
expected." 

In  a  little  time  they  had  landed  and  mounted 
to  the  castle  gates,  where  the  lord-warden  met 
them  and  bade  them  enter.  They  gave  up  their 
weapons,  and  Kenric  delivered  his  two  hawks 
to  the  falconer.  So  when  the  warden  had 
offered  them  all  drink  and  food,  he  asked  Sir 
Piers  de  Currie  how  it  was  that  Earl  Hamish 
of  Bute  had  not  accompanied  him. 

"  Alas  !  he  is  dead,"  said  the  knight,  telling 
of  the  treachery  of  Roderic. 

"  Woe,  woe !  "  cried  the  old  warden  with  tears 
in  his  eyes.  "  But  this  is  surely  the  saddest 
thing  that  could  have  befallen,  and  a  sorry  blow 
for  our  country.  And  this  is  his  son,  eh  ?  By 
the  rood,  a  well-favoured  youth,  and  a  strong. 
Heaven  grant  that  he  prove  as  good  and  leal  a 
man  as  his  father  before  him ! "  and  he  rested 
his  hand  on  Kenric's  shoulder. 

"And  now,  what  of  his  Majesty  the  King  ? " 
asked  Sir  Piers. 

"  He  comes  from  Stirling  even  now,"  said  the 
warden,  "  and  will  be  here  at  sunset.  But  'tis 
a  wearing  ride  from  Stirling  to  Dumbarton, 
Sir  Piers,  and  it  may  be  you  will  not  have 
audience  with  his  Majesty  ere  morning.  So 
bring  in  your  shipmen,  my  lord  of  Bute,  for  me- 
thinks  there  will  be  rain  to-night,  and  a  cosy 


144  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

chamber  in  the  castle  were  better  lodging  than 
an  open  boat.  Doubtless,  too,  our  own  men-at- 
arms  will  welcome  your  retainers  for  the  story 
they  have  to  tell  of  this  sad  happening  in  Bute." 

Accordingly  the  crew  of  Kenric's  ship  were 
brought 'within  the  castle,  and  with  the  men  of 
Dumbarton  and  the  body-guard  of  the  king 
they  formed  a  merry  company  in  the  guard- 
room, while  Kenric  and  his  two  companions 
remained  as  guests  of  the  lord-warden. 

At  the  moment  when  the  sun  was  sinking  in 
the  golden  west,  the  King  of  Scotland  arrived, 
accompanied  by  Queen  Margaret  and  their 
attendants ;  but,  as  the  warden  had  said,  there 
could  be  no  audience  that  night. 


CHAPTER   XVI 

KENRIC    BEFORE    KING    ALEXANDER 

OEFORE  a  bright  fire  in  the  great  audience 
•D  chamber  of  Dumbarton  Castle  sat  King 
Alexander  the  Third.  By  his  side  stood  two 
youthful  pages,  one  a  lad  of  sixteen  or  so,  whose 
delicate  complexion  and  habit  of  dress  pro- 
claimed him  to  be  English ;  the  other  a  lad  of 
perhaps  the  same  age,  whose  clear  blue  eyes, 
flaxen  hair,  and  ruddy  cheeks  betokened  north- 


KENRIC    BEFORE    KING   ALEXANDER  145 

ern  blood.  Sitting  apart  were  the  king's  jus- 
ticiary and  the  sheriff  of  Dumbarton.  At  the 
far  end  of  the  hall  at  either  side  of  the  portal 
stood  two  Highlanders,  armed  with  drawn 
swords. 

The  king,  now  at  the  age  of  three-and-twenty, 
was  dressed  in  a  long  robe  of  brown  velvet, 
trimmed  with  fur.  He  wore  a  heavy  chain  of 
gold  about  his  neck,  with  the  device  of  the  thistle 
resting  on  his  jerkin  of  purple  silk.  The  jewelled 
haft  of  a  dagger  was  seen  in  his  belt  of  crimson 
leather,  and  a  long  sword  hung  at  his  left  side. 
His  long  thin  legs  were  clothed  in  tight-fitting 
hose,  and  his  feet  —  which  were,  perhaps,  over- 
large —  were  furnished  with  warm  slippers  lined 
with  fur.  He  sat  with  his  legs  stretched  out 
before  him,  and  with  his  hands  clasped  behind 
his  head.  Presently  he  yawned,  stretched  his 
arms  aloft,  and  stood  up,  walking  to  and  fro 
about  the  apartment  with  his  thumbs  stuck  in 
his  belt.  In  person  he  was  majestic,  and  al- 
though his  figure  was  too  tall  and  his  bones 
over-large  and  ill-covered,  yet  his  limbs  were 
well  formed,  and  he  bore  himself  gracefully. 
His  countenance  was  handsome,  and  it  beamed 
with  a  manly  and  sweet  expression,  which  cor- 
responded with  the  sincerity  of  his  character. 

Pausing  abruptly  in  his  pacing,  he  addressed 
the  English  page. 

"  We  will  now  see  this  young  lord  of  Bute," 


146  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

he  said.  "  Go,  Edwin,  and  bid  him  enter,  and 
with  him  our  friend  Sir  Piers  de  Currie." 

Edwin  went  out.  His  companion  of  the 
flaxen  hair  fixed  his  blue  eyes  upon  the  door- 
way, nervously  expectant. 

"Ah,  my  young  Harald ! "  said  the  king  in 
Gaelic.  "So,  then,  you  heard  the  name  of  Bute, 
eh?  Are  you  already  weary  of  courtly  life 
that  you  so  prick  up  your  ears  at  the  name 
of  an  island  ?  " 

The  youth  blushed  and  looked  ashamed,  but 
still  furtively  watched  the  door  as  it  was  re- 
opened to  admit  Earl  Kenric.  Sir  Piers  de 
Currie  entering  with  him,  remained  within  the 
doorway  until  the  king  should  be  ready  to  re- 
ceive him. 

Kenric  was  attired  in  the  same  fashion  as  on 
the  day  of  his  throning,  but  that  he  now  wore 
no  covering  upon  his  head.  He  advanced 
towards  the  king,  and  prostrated  himself  hum- 
bly before  him. 

"  God  be  your  guard,  my  lord  the  king,"  he 
murmured  in  that  pure  English  that  his  mother 
had  taught  him,  and  raising  himself  on  one 
knee  he  took  King  Alexander's  hand  in  his 
own  and  pressed  it  to  his  lips. 

"  I,  your  Majesty's  humble  vassal  of  Bute," 
he  continued,  "  Kenric  by  name,  and  son  of 
your  Majesty's  loyal  subject,  the  late  Earl 
Hamish,  do  now  come  to  pay  your  Majesty 


KENRIC    BEFORE    KING   ALEXANDER 

dutiful  homage  for  the  lands  I  hold  of  the 
Scottish  crown;  and  on  your  royal  hand  I  swear 
to  maintain  fidelity  to  your  Majesty  as  my  liege 
^rd  and  sovereign,  and  not  to  enter  into  any 
league  ,,,-fVi  the  enemies  of  Scotland,  saving  only 
in  the  case  of  un^t  oppression.  In  token  of 
my  loyalty  I  agree,  as  the  old  custom  of  my 
fathers  hath  ordained,  to  deliver  once  every 
year  at  the  castle  of  Dumbarton  —  as  I  have 
this  day  delivered  —  two  well-trained  gerfal- 
cons, and  —  and  —  " 

Kenric  faltered,  for  he  heard  the  rustling  of 
a  woman's  dress  very  near  him.  The  young 
queen  had  entered. 

"  Enough,"  said  the  king.  "And  say,  now,  how 
does  your  sweet  mother,  the  Lady  Adela,  and 
how  bears  she  her  grief  at  the  sad  loss  that 
hath  befallen  her?  The  lord-warden  of  this 
castle  hath  already  acquainted  us  of  the  treach- 
ery of  the  man  Roderic." 

"  So  please  you,  sire,  she  is  now  passing  well 
recovered,  and  bears  her  sorrows  most  nobly," 
said  Kenric. 

"And  now,"  said  the  king,  "  how  happens  it 
that  Roderic  of  Gigha  was  allowed  to  leave 
your  island  alive  ?  Had  such  a  crime  as  his 
been  committed  within  the  realms  of  Scotland 
it  is  not  thus  that  the  criminal  would  have 
escaped." 

"  He  was  duly  tried  for  his  ill  deeds,  your 


THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

Majesty,"  said  Kenric,  glancing  aside  at  the 
queen.  "  He  claimed  wager  of  combat  with  my 
brother,  whom,  alas !  he  overcame  and  slew  in 
fair  fight.  Our  steward,  Sir  Oscar  Redm; 
finding  him  guilty,  neverthe 
of  outlawry  upon  hinj^— ^Sentence  which  I 
crave  your  Majesty  to  ratify." 

"  That  have  we  already  done," said  the  King; 
"  and  should  this  villain  again  set  foot  in  Scot- 
land, or  in  any  one  of  the  Western  Isles,  ere  his 
term  of  outlawry  be  duly  passed,  we  shall  hold 
no  man  guilty  who  puts  him  to  the  sword - 
nay,  we  shall  reward  him  well.  As  to  the  lands 
of  Gigha  they  are  now  forfeit,  and  the  lordship 
over  them,  my  young  Earl  Kenric,  shall  hence- 
forth be  yours." 

Then  the  King  drawing  his  sword  touched 
Kenric  on  his  broad  back,  saying: 

"  Earl  Kenric,  in  right  of  your  parentage  and 
in  virtue  of  the  future  service  which  we  shall 
expect  of  you,  we  now  pronounce  you  the 
rightful  lord  over  the  isles  of  Bute  and  Gigha, 
with  the  title  of  knight  of  the  most  ancient 
order  of  the  Thistle." 

Sheathing  his  sword  the  King  then  greeted 
his  queen  and  presented  Kenric  to  her.  This 
honour  so  embarrassed  the  youth  that  when 
her  Majesty  asked  him  questions  concerning  his 
mother  he  could  scarcely  utter  a  word,  but 
stuttered  woefully. 


KENRIC    BEFORE    KING   ALEXANDER  149 

Daughter  of  Henry  the  Third  of  England, 
and  sister  of  Prince  Edward  —  who  afterwards 
gave  such  trouble  to  the  realm  of  Scotland  — 
Queen  Margaret  was  at  this  time  but  one-and- 
twenty  years  of  age.  She  was  bright-eyed  and 
well-featured,  with  a  clear  fresh  complexion, 
and  her  every  movement  was  of  stately  grace. 
She  smiled  upon  Kenric  with  her  sweet 
rosy  lips,  and  bade  him  sit  near  her  and  tell 
her  how  his  mother,  accustomed  to  the  life 
of  the  English  court,  contrived  to  live  happily 
in  so  wild  and  dull  a  place  as  the  little  island 
of  Bute.  But  Kenric  in  replying  noticed  only 
the  coronet  of  pearls  that  the  queen  wore  in 
her  glossy  hair,  the  surpassing  whiteness  of  her 
neck  and  hands,  and  the  rich  splendour  of  her 
purple  velvet  gown. 

Meanwhile  the  king  had  received  Sir  Piers 
de  Currie. 

"  This  young  lord  of  Bute  pleases  us  well, 
Ranza,"  said  King  Alexander,  addressing  the 
knight  by  the  name  of  his  castle ;  "  and  we 
doubt  not  that  he  will  prove  even  as  stalwart 
an  adherent  as  his  father,  though,  indeed,  we 
had  been  better  pleased  had  he  been  somewhat 
older.  Take  him  under  your  care,  Ranza,  so 
that  he  may  acquire  some  of  your  own  skill  at 
arms." 

"  Methinks,  sire,"  said  Sir  Piers,  "  that  there 
is  little  need  of  that,  for  since  the  death  of 


150  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

Alpin,  the  lad's  brother,  there  is  none  whom  1 
could  teach  less  to  than  young  Kenric.  A 
little  more  weight  and  strength,  it  may  be, 
might  serve  him  well.  God  alone  can  give  him 
those.  But  of  skill  he  requires  no  more  than 
myself." 

"  Such  praise  from  you  is  a  recommendation 
that  any  man  in  Scotland  might  be  proud  of, 
Sir  Piers,"  said  the  King.  "  But  there  is  one 
thing  more.  Know  you  if  the  lad  speaks  the 
tongue  of  these  Norse  varlets  of  the  isles  ? " 

"  Not  speaking  it  myself,  your  Majesty,  I  am 
but  a  poor  one  to  question  on  that  matter." 

The  King  then  called  Kenric  to  his  side,  and 
bade  the  young  page  Harald  address  him  in 
his  native  tongue.  At  this  the  flaxen-haired 
lad  leapt  towards  Kenric  with  glistening  eyes. 

"  My  good  friend,"  said  he  in  Norse,  "  be  not 
alarmed  at  what  I  shall  say.  The  King  knows 
not  a  word  of  our  tongue.  Tell  me,  is  it  to  set 
me  free  that  you  come  hither?  Do  you  come 
from  my  father  ?  " 

"  Your  father  ?  "  said  Kenric.  "  I  know  not 
who  your  father  may  be.  Methinks  you  make 
some  strange  mistake  ! " 

"Alas ! "  said  the  lad,  crestfallen,  "  then  am  I 
the  most  unhappy  youth  that  ever  lived !  But 
stay ;  you  come  from  Bute.  I  heard  the  King 
say  so.  You  have  come  in  your  ship.  I  saw 
when  you  entered  this  room  that  you  were  an 


KENRIC    BEFORE    KING   ALEXANDER 

islander.  My  friend,  I  implore  you  to  rescue 
me  from  the  hands  of  these  Scots.  Take  me 
away  from  this  land,  for  I  am  well-nigh  dying 
to  breathe  once  more  the  free  air  of  my  island 
home,  and  to  rove  again  upon  the  wide  ocean. 
Say,  will  you  help  me  to  escape  ? " 

"What!"  exclaimed  Kenric,  "even  in  his 
Majesty's  presence  you  ask  me  to  do  such  a 
thing  ?  By  the  rood,  but  you  are  passing  bold  !  " 

"  Enough,"  said  King  Alexander,  smiling  as 
he  signed  to  the  page  to  retire.  Then  he  drew 
Sir  Piers  and  Kenric  nearer  to  him. 

"  The  death  of  Hamish  of  Bute,-"  said  he,  "  is 
a  sore  calamity.  We  could  ill  spare  him.  But 
as  concerning  the  matter  of  the  Western  Isles, 
the  time  has  come  for  speedy  action,  and  we 
must  look  to  you,  Sir  Piers,  and  to  you,  Earl 
Kenric,  for  the  help  that  we  now  need.  We 
are  about  to  despatch  an  expedition  to  the  outer 
islands,  and  it  may  be  that  the  mission  will  not 
be  fulfilled  without  the  spilling  of  blood.  It  is, 
therefore,  necessary  that  you  should  gather 
together  a  goodly  number  of  brave  men  and  as 
many  ships  as  may  be  available.  With  these 
you  shall  repair  to  Jura,  Islay,  Colonsay,  Mull, 
and,  indeed,  all  the  isles  that  lie  south  of  Mor- 
ven ;  and  there  gather  what  knowledge  may 
be  gained  touching  the  power  held  by  Hakon 
of  Norway  in  these  districts.  My  lord  of  Ross 
will  in  like  manner  visit  the  more  northern 


152  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

isles.  You  shall  not  want  for  help,  for  we  will 
presently  send  over  to  Bute  some  two  or  three 
ships  from  Galloway  and  Cowall.  As  to  the 
rest,  we  leave  it  in  your  hands,  Ranza,  who  so 
well  understand  the  situation.  Should  you,  by 
forcibly  invading  the  islands  of  the  disaffected 
kings,  succeed  in  conquering  them,  so  much  the 
more  to  your  credit.  All  we  ask  is  that  you 
draw  not  the  sword  ere  you  have  done  all  that 
is  possible  by  the  persuasions  of  the  tongue." 

Sir  Piers  bowed  and  exchanged  glances  with 
Kenric. 

"  Fortunately  for  our  plans,"  continued  the 
King,  "  Roderic  of  Gigha  is  now  out  of  our 
way.  He  held  one  of  the  smallest  of  the 
islands,  but  he  was  assuredly  the  greatest  ras- 
cal in  them  all.  Had  it  been  otherwise  we 
should  have  hesitated  to  authorize  this  bold 
attempt.  But  there  are  many  of  the  island 
kings  who  may  be  very  easily  won  over  from 
their  fickle  allegiance  to  the  crown  of  Norway, 
while  many  have  already  given  us  hostages  for 
their  loyal  behaviour.  Of  these  last  is  Earl 
John  of  Islay  —  one  of  the  most  powerful  of 
the  island  chiefs.  We  claimed  a  hostage  from 
him,  and  he  sent  his  son  Harald  —  the  youth 
who  has  but  now  been  speaking  with  you,  my 
lord  of  Bute.  Alas !  the  lad  is  a  sorry  scamp, 
and  we  can  do  naught  with  him.  He  is  ever 
trying  to  escape,  for  he  has  the  heart  and  spirit 


KENRIC    BEFORE    KING   ALEXANDER  153 

of  a  viking,  and  naught  will  please  him  but  to 
be  roving  the  seas.  Now  his  father  has  of  late 
shown  a  disposition  to  abandon  all  thoughts  of 
King  Hakon.  He  has  duly  delivered  tribute 
to  us.  We  would,  therefore,  have  you  visit  him 
early,  taking  the  lad  with  you,  and  on  his  sol- 
emnly engaging  to  maintain  his  faithful  alle- 
giance to  Scotland  you  will  permit  his  son  to 
land." 

"  Then  this  young  viking  returns  with  us, 
your  Majesty  ?  "  said  Kenric. 

"  Even  so,"  said  the  King. 

At  this  point  the  lord-warden  of  the  castle 
entered  the  chamber  and  begged  the  King  to 
repair  to  the  banqueting-hall,  where  the  morn- 
ing meal  was  now  ready.  So  the  King  signed 
to  Sir  Piers  and  Kenric  to  follow  him. 

"  So  please  you,  sire,"  said  Kenric,  "  we  have 
with  us  a  young  man  of  Bute,  one  Allan  Red- 
main,  who,  if  I  might  be  so  bold  as  say  so, 
would  be  passing  well  pleased  could  he  have 
the  honour  of  kissing  your  Majesty's  hand." 

"  Bid  the  youth  come  in  to  breakfast  with 
us,"  said  Alexander. 

And  Kenric  went  out  to  search  for  Allan, 
who  had  begun  to  fear  that  he  would  after  all 
miss  even  a  sight  of  the  King. 

"  Who  is  this  Redmain?  "  asked  Alexander  of 
Sir  Piers  de  Currie. 

And  at  that  the  knight  told  of  how  Allan  had 


154  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

dived  into  the  linn  of  the  White  Lady  falls  to 
save  Earl  Kenric's  life,  and  the  King,  who  ad- 
mired bravery  in  whatsoever  form  it  was  to  be 
found,  greeted  Allan  so  kindly  that  the  lad  re- 
membered that  proud  occasion  all  the  rest  of 
his  days. 

At  noontide  the  men  of  Bute  were  again  on 
board  their  galley,  and  when  Kenric  and  his 
companions,  together  with  young  Harald  of 
Islay,  had  come  down  from  the  high  rock  of  the 
castle,  the  long  oars  were  set  in  motion  and 
the  gallant  ship  swept  down  the  Clyde,  making 
the  bay  of  Rothesay  before  nightfall. 


CHAPTER   XVII 

HOW    ALLAN    REDMAIN    KEPT   WATCH 

SIR  PIERS  DE  CURRIE  remained  that 
night  in  the  castle  of  Rothesay,  discussing 
with  Earl  Kenric  their  plans  for  the  coming  ex- 
pedition to  the  island  kings.  But  Allan  Red- 
main  had  to  bethink  himself  of  his  unwilling 
task  of  acting  as  watch-dog  on  the  lonely  farm- 
stead of  Scalpsie,  for  the  judgment  passed  upon 
him  in  lawful  assize  was  one  which  he  dared  not 
attempt  to  evade.  To  Scalpsie,  therefore,  he 
wended  his  steps  without  even  going  homeward 


HOW    ALLAN    REDMAIN    KEPT   WATCH         155 

to  Kilmory  to  doff  the  fine  attire  which  he  had 
assumed  for  the  occasion  of  his  presentation  to 
King  Alexander,  and  there,  drawing  his  plaid 
over  his  shoulders,  he  paced  to  and  fro  in  the 
dark  night  —  from  the  sheepfold  to  the  stead- 
ings and  from  the  steadings  back  to  the  sheep- 
fold. 

Weary  work  it  was  in  sooth,  and  much  did  he 
deplore  the  laws  that  made  it  binding  upon  one 
of  gentle  blood  to  thus  demean  himself.  He 
listened  to  the  mournful  sound  of  the  waves  on 
the  shore,  broken  sometimes  by  the  bleating  of 
a  restless  sheep  in  the  fold.  Soon  he  began  to 
feel  his  eyelids  getting  very  heavy,  and  he 
sought  about  for  a  soft  bed  of  heather  to  lie 
down  upon  for  a  while.  As  he  was  about  to 
curl  himself  up  —  trusting  that  if  any  night- 
prowling  beast  should  come  to  play  havoc 
among  the  farm  stock  the  noise  of  the  sheep 
and  goats  would  surely  awaken  him — he  heard 
footsteps  approaching. 

"  So,  my  young  watch-dog,"  said  the  voice  of 
the  farmer  Blair,  "  you  have  bethought  yourself 
of  your  charge  at  last,  eh  ?  Well  is  it  for  you 
that  you  have  not  neglected  my  sheep  this  night 
as  you  did  last.  No  more  shall  you  send  that 
sleepy-headed  lad  Lulach  to  be  your  proxy,  for 
his  sleeping  cost  me  the  life  of  one  of  my  best 
ewe-lambs.  So  look  you  well  to  your  charge 
now.  Here  is  a  cake  of  bread  to  keep  you 


156  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

from  hunger,  and  a  flagon  of  good  posset  to  keep 
you  warm  —  'tis  your  nightly  allowance.  And 
if  it  so  be  that  you  get  drowsy,  why,  sing  your- 
self a  song  as  do  the  shipmen  in  their  night 
watches.  But  mind  you  this,  young  Kilmory, 
that  for  ever^  beast  I  lose  through  the  slaying 
of  my  dog,  your  father,  Sir  Oscar  Redmain, 
shall  pay  me  another  of  equal  value." 

"  Look  you,  David  Blair,"  said  Allan  warmly, 
"  it  is  not  thus  that  I  will  be  your  watch-dog 
for  many  nights.  The  task,  I  well  know,  is  but 
a  lawful  judgment  upon  me  for  my  offence,  but 
you  have  no  manner  of  right  to  say  that  I  shall 
send  no  proxy.  If  it  please  me  to  send  Lulach, 
then  the  lad  shall  come,  and  I  will  pay  him  for 
his  work.  But  to  come  here  myself  as  often  as 
you  please,  that  I  shall  not  do." 

"  If  Lulach  lose  me  my  sheep  he  cannot  re- 
turn full  value  for  them,"  said  Blair,  bethinking 
himself  of  his  own  interests,  "  whereas  if  they 
be  lost  by  your  unwatchfulness,  then  can  I  duly 
claim  my  own  from  your  father." 

"  Why  did  you  refuse  the  better  dog  that  my 
father  offered  you  in  place  of  the  one  I  slew  ? " 
asked  Allan. 

"  Because,"  said  the  husbandman  with  simple 
pride,  "  it  pleases  me  better  to  know  that  my 
homestead  is  nightly  watched  by  a  brave  and 
gallant  man-at-arms,  who,  I  trust,  will  permit 
no  marauding  Norsemen  or  thieving  wolf  to 


HOW    ALLAN    REDMAIN    KEPT    WATCH         157 


come  near  me  wjiile  Mie  sleeping."  And  so 
savins'  ^p  t*mn€a  away. 

"A  murrain  on  you  and  your  cattle,"  growled 
Allan.  And  then  he  began  to  pace  his  rounds, 
leaving  the  cake  of  bread  and  the  flagon  of 
posset  by  the  gate  of  the  sheepfold. 

Not  long  had  he  been  thus  engaged  when 
the  heavy  dew  made  him  feel  cold,  and  he  took 
a  good  drink  of  the  posset.  This  mixture  of 
strong  wine  and  curdled  milk  made  him 
strangely  sleepy,  whereupon,  defying  the  law 
and  David  Blair  together,  he  rolled  himself  up 
in  his  plaid  and  lay  down  upon  the  heather,  to 
think  of  King  Alexander  and  Queen  Margaret 
and  of  battling  Norsemen.  The  sound  of  the 
waves  breaking  upon  the  beach,  and  the  sigh- 
ing of  the  night  wind  among  the  neighbouring 
fir-trees,  soon  lulled  him  into  a  heavy  sleep. 

It  might  be  that  he  had  slept  full  four  hours 
when,  feeling  something  cold  against  his  cheek, 
he  wakened  with  a  start  and  sprang  to  his  feet. 
There  was  a  sharp  yelp  as  of  a  frightened  dog, 
and  he  heard  the  movement  of  footsteps  upon 
the  heather.  Then  the  footsteps  stopped  and 
he  saw  the  staring  eyes  of  a  wolf  glaring  at  him 
through  the  black  darkness. 

Grasping  his  sword,  Allan  bounded  off  in 
pursuit.  The  wolf  trotted  away  at  an  easy 
pace  towards  the  woodland.  Then  as  Allan 
approached  nearer,  off  again  it  sped,  leading 


THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

him  deep  into  a  quirt  Single  to  the  east  of 
Loch  Quien.  But  at  each  time  tv»p  qnimal 
paused  Allan  came  nearer  and  nearer  than 
before,  until  at  last  it  seemed  that  he  had  come 
within  striking  distance  of  the  brute.  He  had 
not  his  bow  with  him,  or  he  might  have  made 
short  work  of  the  wolf.  But  he  did  not  shrink 
from  a  close  encounter. 

As  he  heard  the  low  snarling  growl  before 
him  he  raised  his  weapon,  swinging  it  round  to 
strike.  Lightly  the  wolf  sprang  aside  and  the 
sword  blade  whizzed  through  the  air,  striking 
nothing.  And  ere  Allan,  expecting  to  find  the 
animal  lying  dead  at  his  feet,  could  well  under- 
stand how  he  had  missed  his  aim,  the  wolf  had 
bounded  off  and  was  lost  in  the  darkness. 

Then  Allan  rubbed  his  drowsy  eyes  and 
questioned  if  he  had  not  been  dreaming.  But 
suddenly  from  behind  him  there  came  through 
the  still  air  a  strange,  weird,  human  voice  that 
startled  him  more  than  the  sight  of  any  wild 
animal  might  have  done. 

"  Allan  Redmain,"  it  said  hurriedly,  "  is  this 
you  ?  " 

"  Holy  Virgin ! "  exclaimed  Allan,  turning 
round,  "  who  spoke  ?  "  And  against  the  dark- 
ness of  the  tree  trunks  he  again  saw  two  shin- 
ing eyes,  on  a  level  with  his  own,  and  scarce  a 
couple  of  yards'  distance  away  from  him. 

Now,  whether  it  was  that  those  eyes  but  re- 


HOW   ALLAN    REDMAIN    KEPT   WATCH         159 

fleeted  the  wan  light  of  dawn  that  was  breaking 
above  the  eastern  hills,  or  that  they  did  indeed 
shine  red  and  green  by  turns  as  did  the  eyes  of 
the  wolf,  may  not  be  told.  But  Allan  shrank 
back  at  sight  of  them  with  a  gruesome  fear  at 
his  heart. 

"  Hush,  hush ! "  said  the  voice  in  a  whisper 
that  was  scarcely  louder  than  the  sighing  of  the 
wind  among  the  trees.  "  It  is  I,  Aasta  of  Kil- 
mory." 

"  Saint  Columba  help  me ! "  said  Allan. 
"Aasta  ?  Aasta  the  wolf  maiden  ?  What  trick 
is  this  you  have  played  me  ?  It  is  you,  then, 
and  no  wolf  that  I  have  been  following  ?  And 
I  had  nearly  slain  you  !  " 

"  Listen,  Allan  Redmain ;  and,  I  beg  you, 
make  no  noise,"  said  Aasta,  drawing  nearer. 
"  Listen  if  you  hear  not  footsteps  on  the  moor 
yonder." 

Allan  held  in  his  breath  for  a  moment,  and 
in  the  stillness  he  heard  indeed  the  pat,  pat  of 
a  pair  of  feet  hurrying  away. 

"  Well,"  he  said,  "  I  do  in  truth  hear  footsteps. 
But  what  of  that  ?  'Tis  but  the  tread  of  some 
wild  boar  or  prowling  wolf." 

"  Not  so,"  said  Aasta ;  "  they  are  the  footsteps 
of  the  fair-haired  youth  who  came  with  you  in 
Earl  Kenric's  ship  from  Dumbarton." 

"  Harald  of  Islay  !     He  ?  " 

"  Even  so,"  said  Aasta.     "  Two  hours  ago  he 


I6O  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

escaped  by  stealth  from  the  castle  of  Rothesay. 
He  is  now  seeking  the  means  of  flying  from  the 
island.  I  know  not  wherefore  he  was  brought 
to  Bute ;  but  the  manner  of  his  escaping  and 
his  care  to  avoid  being  seen  were  such  that  I 
followed  him.  I  had  gone  to  Rothesay  to  learn 
of  your  return,  and  to  get  news  for  Elspeth. 
Setting  out  for  Kilmory  I  saw  this  youth  steal 
out  by  the  west  postern,  cloaked  and  armed. 
Tarry  not  here ;  for  if  it  be  that  the  youth  had 
no  right  to  leave  the  castle,  then  he  must  even 
be  forcibly  taken  back." 

"  Even  so,  Aasta,"  said  Allan,  "and  much  do 
I  commend  you  for  your  timely  warning  of  the 
lad's  escape.  Though  how  by  your  witchery 
you  brought  me  hither  I  cannot  well  under- 
stand." 

"  Seek  not  to  learn,  then,"  returned  Aasta, 
leading  him  forth  upon  the  open  land ;  "  but 
come  ere  it  be  too  late  to  arrest  this  fugitive." 

With  no  further  words  the  fair  maiden  led 
him  southward  towards  the  sea  cliffs,  skipping 
over  the  streamlets  that  crossed  their  path,  and 
passing  over  wide  stretches  of  barren  moorland. 
And  down  into  every  creek  and  bay  she  turned 
her  searching  eyes.  Suddenly  she  halted  and 
drew  back  a  few  paces,  then  crouched  upon  the 
ground,  bidding  Allan  do  likewise.  Thus  she 
crept  to  the  brink  of  the  cliff  that  stands  frown- 
ing above  the  bay  of  Stravannan. 


HOW    ALLAN    REDMAIN    KEPT   WATCH         l6l 

The  light  of  dawn  had  by  this  time  chased 
away  the  shadows  of  night,  and  headlands  and 
rocks  stood  out  clear  against  the  gray  sky. 
Aasta  pointed  down  to  the  stony  beach  below. 
The  tide  was  at  half-flood,  and  lying  above  the 
water's  edge  was  a  small  fishing-boat.  Young 
Harald  of  Islay  had  grasped  the  boat's  gunwale 
and  was  pulling  and  tugging  with  all  his 
strength.  A  few  more  pulls  and  the  little  craft 
would  be  launched.  Every  effort  he  made 
brought  it  a  foot  nearer  the  water. 

"  Ah,  had  I  but  my  bow  and  a  good  straight 
arrow ! "  whispered  Allan,  crouching  down  at 
Aasta's  side. 

"  Hush !  Give  me  your  plaid,"  said  she. 
"  Let  him  not  see  you ;  but  go  you  down  by  the 
farther  side  of  the  bay  while  I  take  this  nearer 
path.  When  you  hear  me  cry  as  the  peewit 
cries,  run  as  quickly  as  may  be  towards  the 
boat.  Methinks  by  his  fair  hair  that  the  lad 
should  be  of  the  Norsemen.  Is  that  so  ?  " 

Throwing  the  plaid  about  her  head  and  shoul- 
ders, Aasta  went  downward  by  the  craggy 
rocks  and  was  soon  upon  the  beach.  The  boat 
was  already  half  in  the  water.  The  young 
Norseman  turned  with  a  startled  look  at  hear- 
ing footsteps  on  the  shingle.  Aasta  walked 
towards  him  slowly,  bending  down  now  and 
again  as  though  she  were  gathering  shell-fish. 
Seeing  that  it  was  only,  as  he  supposed,  some 


l62  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

harmless  fisherwoman,  Harald  took  courage  and 
waited. 

"  You  are  abroad  betimes,  my  young  master," 
said  she,  speaking  in  the  Norse.  "  And  me- 
thinks  you  have  work  that  ill  befits  such  white 
hands  and  comely  apparel  as  yours.  Let  me,  I 
pray  you,  help  you  to  launch  your  boat." 

"  Your  words,  fair  damsel,"  said  the  youth  as 
he  regarded  her  in  wondering  surprise,  "  surely 
betoken  that  you  are  not  of  the  people  of  this 
land." 

"  And  yours,  my  master,  that  you  are  equally 
foreign  to  these  shores.  But  tell  me,  sir,  where 
go  you  in  your  boat  ? " 

"  I  go  hence  to  Islay,"  said  he,  "  if  so  be  I 
may  without  help  adventure  so  far." 

"  Methinks,"  said  Aasta,  "  that  it  were  at  least 
wise  in  you  to  have  the  help  of  a  pair  of  oars." 

"  There  is  a  pair  lying  at  the  foot  of  the  cliff 
there,"  said  the  youth,  pointing  up  the  beach. 

"  Go,  then,  and  bring  them,"  said  she,  "  while 
I  launch  your  boat ;  and  it  may  be  that,  if  you 
are  bound  for  Islay,  I  will,  if  it  so  please  you, 
accompany  you." 

"  Sweet  damsel,"  said  he, "  surely  some  strange 
good  fortune  hath  sent  you  to  my  aid !  "  and  at 
that  he  ran  up  the  beach  to  the  place  where  the 
fishermen  had  left  their  oars.  As  he  went  the 
cry  of  a  peewit  rose  in  the  morning  air. 

"  Pee-wit,  pee-weet-weet !  " 


HOW   ALLAN    REDMAIN    KEPT   WATCH         163 

In  a  few  moments  Allan  Redmain  was  at 
Aasta's  side.  She  bade  him  stand  behind  her. 
Harald  the  hostage,  not  seeing  him,  walked 
back  towards  the  boat  bearing  the  two  oars  over 
his  shoulder.  Then  suddenly  Allan  confronted 
him. 

"  So,  my  brave  viking,  you  would  escape, 
eh  ?  "  he  said,  smiling  at  the  lad's  discomfiture. 

Harald  frowning  and  with  flashing  eyes  laid 
the  oars  across  the  boat's  thwarts,  and  grasping 
the  gunwale  tried  to  launch  her.  Aasta,  mak- 
ing pretence  to  help  him,  pulled  the  opposite 
way  and  the  boat  did  not  move.  Then  seeing 
that  he  was  intercepted  the  lad  promptly 
whipped  out  his  dirk  and  sprang  towards  Al- 
lan with  his  weapon  raised.  Allan  stepped 
aside,  yet  did  not  attempt  to  unsheathe  his 
sword.  Harald  followed  upon  him,  but  in  an 
instant  Aasta  had  leapt  behind  him  and  flung 
her  plaid  in  a  loop  over  his  head.  With  a  vig- 
orous tug  at  the  two  ends  of  the  garment  she 
pulled  him  over  and  he  fell  upon  his  back. 
Allan  seized  the  dirk  that  dropped  from  the 
lad's  hand  and  threw  it  aside.  Grasping  Har- 
ald's  two  wrists  he  then  turned  him  over,  plant- 
ing his  knee  upon  his  back. 

"  Now,  Aasta,"  said  Allan  calmly,  "  methinks 
we  had  best  secure  his  arms  with  my  plaid. 
Give  me  an  end  of  it  that  we  may  twist  it ;  so. 
Now  lace  it  well  under  his  arms  while  I  bring 


164  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

it  round  his  legs.  There ;  he  will  not  readily 
draw  himself  out  of  that  noose.  I  will  leave 
him  in  your  care  until  I  launch  Ronald  Gray's 
boat." 

Then,  as  Allan  pushed  the  little  craft  into  the 
water,  Aasta  bent  by  the  young  Norseman's 
side,  running  her  fingers  through  his  flaxen 
hair. 

"  So  bold  a  spirit,"  said  she,  "  is  not  oft  in- 
closed in  so  fair  a  head.  But  ah,  my  young 
master,  beware  how  you  let  that  spirit  escape. 
'Twill  do  you  no  manner  of  good  to  have  thus 
avoided  the  castle  of  Rothesay,  for  there  in  that 
castle  are  dungeons  deeper  than  Loch  Ascog, 
and  colder  than  the  snowy  peak  of  Goatfell." 

"  Oh,  deceitful  woman  that  you  are ! "  mut- 
tered the  youth,  "  to  tell  me  that  you  were  not 
of  the  people  of  this  land.  Had  it  not  been  for 
you  I  might  even  now  have  been  afloat !  " 

"  Had  it  not  been  for  me,"  said  Aasta,  "you 
would  even  now  have  been  dead,  for  if  I  had 
let  you  use  your  dirk  as  you  intended,  Allan 
Redmain,  whose  prisoner  you  now  are,  would 
certainly  have  slain  you." 

"  That  would  I,"  said  Allan,  now  bending 
down  and  taking  hold  of  the  lad  in  his  strong 
arms  and  carrying  him  to  the  boat. 

"'Tis  a  long  pull  round  to  Rothesay  Bay," 
said  Aasta,  "  and  it  may  be  that  you  will  yet  have 
trouble  with  your  charge.  Let  me  go  with  you." 


THE  EXPEDITION  TO  THE  ISLAND  KINGS       165 

Allan,  standing  knee-deep  in  the  water,  held 
out  his  hand  and  helped  her  into  the  boat. 
Then  as  she  sat  down  he  pushed  off  and  sprang 
on  board,  taking  the  oars. 

Some  four  hours  afterwards  the  boat  rounded 
Bogany  Point  and  entered  the  bay  of  Rothesay. 
By  this  time  many  of  the  men  of  the  castle,  led 
by  Kenric  and  Sir  Piers  de  Currie,  were  scour- 
ing the  island  in  search  of  the  fugitive  Harald, 
and  when  the  boat  touched  at  the  little  pier  it 
was  as  though  it  were  one  of  the  fishing-craft 
returning  after  a  night  at  sea.  Allan  carried  his 
prisoner  up  to  the  castle  gates,  followed  by  a 
crowd  of  wondering  children,  and  meeting  the 
Lady  Adela  in  the  hall  he  told  her  how  he  had 
passed  his  first  night  as  watch-dog  over  at 
Scalpsie. 


CHAPTER   XVIII 

THE    EXPEDITION    TO    THE    ISLAND    KINGS 

IT  was  on  a  day  in  the  month  of  August,  1262, 
that  the  armament  of  twelve  gallant  ships 
of  war,  under  Sir  Piers  de  Currie  and  Earl  Ken- 
ric of  Bute,  entered  the  sound  of  Kilbrannan 
on  their  voyage  to  the  outer  isles.  There  had 
passed  six  weeks  of  busy  preparation,  for  there 


1 66  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

were  stores  to  be  got  ready  and  put  on  board, 
small-boats  to  be  made  trim,  timbers  to  be 
caulked,  sails  to  be  mended,  many  hundreds  of 
arrows  to  be  cut,  pointed,  and  feathered,  and 
long-bows  to  be  strung,  swords  and  battle-axes 
to  be  forged  and  sharpened,  and  bucklers  to  be 
stretched.  And  now,  with  all  these  matters 
duly  completed,  the  twelve  vessels,  with  their 
sails  brailed  up  to  the  yards,  and  their  long 
oars  moving  with  regular  stride,  crept  down  the 
channel  between  Kintyre  and  Arran.  Leading 
them  was  the  great  Dragon  —  the  same  that 
had  sailed  to  Dumbarton — commanded  by  Earl 
Kenric  himself,  who  stood  on  the  poop  clothed 
in  armour  of  iron  network  and  with  the  sword 
of  Somerled  at  his  side,  and  wearing  his  shining 
brass  helm  crested  with  gold  wings.  The  lion 
banner  of  Scotland,  woven  in  silk,  fluttered  at 
his  bark's  mast-head.  In  his  ship's  waist,  toiling 
at  the  heavy  oars,  were  twoscore  of  well-trained 
retainers,  with  a  reserve  of  yet  another  two- 
score  and  ten  of  his  sturdy  islanders  crowded 
at  the  prow. 

Side  by  side  with  the  Dragon  was  the  Eagle, 
the  galley  of  Sir  Piers  de  Currie,  having  on 
board  young  Harald  the  hostage ;  and  in  their 
wake  sailed  two  other  ships  of  Arran  and  four 
of  Bute,  one  of  Dunoon,  and  three  of  Galloway, 
and  they  were  the  stoutest  and  tallest  ships  that 
had  ever  sailed  in  those  deep  blue  waters. 


THE  EXPEDITION  TO  THE  ISLAND  KINGS        167 

On  the  Kraken  of  Rothesay  was  Allan  Red- 
main.  Right  proud  was  he  of  his  command, 
for  even  until  the  fifth  week  he  had  dreaded 
that  he  might  not  be  of  this  expedition  by  rea- 
son of  his  being  bound  as  watcher  of  the  farm- 
stead of  Scalpsie.  Night  by  night,  in  starlight 
or  rain-storm,  he  had  duly  fulfilled  his  unwill- 
ing charge,  albeit  he  ofttimes  slept  through 
half  the  night,  and  it  so  befell  that  on  each 
occasion  that  he  had  slept,  on  the  next  day 
thereafter  the  farmer  claimed  that  he  had  lost 
yet  another  two  or  three  of  his  ewe-lambs,  and 
Sir  Oscar  Redmain  was  perforce  bound  to  make 
good  the  loss. 

Now,  as  time  went  on  this  thing  happened 
so  often  that  Allan  began  to  think  strange 
thoughts,  for  never  but  on  the  first  night  of  his 
watching  had  he  seen  aught  of  either  wolf  or 
fox.  Seeking  for  a  reason,  he  found  that  on 
those  nights  that  he  had  slept  it  was  then  that 
he  had  drunk  deepest  of  the  crafty  farmer's 
strong  posset,  and  he  was  thereafter  wary  of 
that  drink.  One  night,  having  thrown  the 
posset  away  without  tasting  it,  he  made  pre- 
tence of  sleeping,  and  as  he  lay  there  on  the 
heather  and  watched  with  one  eye  open,  behold 
the  wolf  came  and  carried  off  two  young  goats. 
Now  it  was  not  by  any  chance  a  four-legged 
wolf  that  did  this  thing.  The  marauder  was 
indeed  none  other  than  the  wily  farmer  himself, 


1 68  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

who  carried  the  goats  off  to  another  place, 
there  to  keep  them  in  secret,  with  the  many 
lambs  that  he  had  in  like  manner  stolen,  until 
he  might,  just  as  secretly,  take  them  over  to 
Ayr  market.  When  Allan  discovered  the  trick 
that  had  been  played  upon'him  he  went  straight- 
way to  Earl  Kenric  and  told  him  of  it. 

"  If  this  be  so,"  said  the  young  king,  "  then 
David  Blair  shall  be  severely  punished,  and  you, 
Allan,  shall  be  freed  from  this  dog's  work  at  the 
next  assize.  But  methinks  that  long  ere  this 
you  might  have  avoided  this  nightly  watching. 
Know  you  not  of  that  custom  of  old  time  which 
holds  that  an  offender  against  the  laws  shall  be 
assoiled,  or  set  free  from  all  penalty,  on  produc- 
ing the  heads  of  two  wolves  that  he  has  slain  ? 
Now,  why  have  you  not  brought  me  your 
wolves'  heads  ?  " 

"  Alas !  "  said  Allan,  "I  fear  me  that  until  the 
winter  time  comes  there  is  but  one  wolf  in  all 
Bute,  and  that  is  the  werewolf  Aasta  the 
Fair.  Would  you  that  I  should  bring  you  that 
damsel's  head,  my  lord  ?  " 

"  The  saints  forbid  !  "  said  Kenric.  "  But 
bide  your  time  and  you  shall  be  set  free,  and 
the  more  speedily  since  I  intend  that  you  shall 
come  with  us  on  our  journey  to  the  isles." 

Well,  on  that  same  day  Earl  Kenric  went 
secretly  over  to  the  forest  of  Toward,  in  Cowall, 
with  a  few  chosen  men,  and  in  the  evening 


THE  EXPEDITION  TO  THE  ISLAND  KINGS       169 

when  Allan  was  setting  forth  for  Scalpsie  he 
found  two  great  black  wolves  lying  dead  and 
bloody  beside  the  granary  of  Kilmory  Castle, 
and  he  cut  off  their  heads  and  carried  the 
same  to  Rothesay  and  delivered  them  to  the 
king. 

"  Here,  my  lord,  are  the  heads  of  two  wolves," 
said  he,  "  that  were  alive  this  morning  and  now 
are  dead ;  and  I  cut  off  their  heads  with  my 
own  hands.  For  this  I  claim  my  freedom." 

"  Right  so,"  said  Kenric  smiling.  "You 
have  well  won  your  freedom,  and  so  easily,  that 
methinks  it  might  even  have  been  secured  four 
weeks  ago  and  more." 

And  now  Allan  Redmain  was  made  master 
of  the  Kraken  galley,  with  fourscore  of  skilful 
archers  under  him.  And  as  the  vessels  sped 
down  Kilbrannan  Sound  on  this  August  morn- 
ing he  trod  the  deck  with  a  proud  firm  step 
that  made  his  long  sword  rattle  in  its  sheath, 
and  with  his  young  heart  beating  quicker  in 
anticipation  of  the  battles  that  were  before 
him. 

By  midnight  the  ships,  with  all  sails  set  and 
oars  inboard,  were  abreast  of  the  Mull  of  Kin- 
tyre,  and  at  sunrise  the  next  morning,  beating 
due  north  the  voyagers  sighted  the  little  isle  of 
Cara,  with  the  higher  land  of  the  larger  isle  of 
Gigha  rising  boldly  behind  it. 

Kenric  brought  his  galley  to  the  shoreward 


I/O  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

of  her  consorts,  so  that  leaning  over  the  bul- 
warks he  might  see  this  land  of  Gigha  that  was 
now  his  own.  The  coast  was  wild  and  barren, 
with  black  jagged  rocks  rising  high  out  of  a 
bed  of  foaming  breakers,  but  sloping  off  from 
the  steep  headlands  into  green  upland  pastures, 
striped  with  glistening  streams.  Through  a 
long  rock  tunnel  that  pierced  the  cliffs  he  could 
see  the  light  of  the  morning  sun-rays,  and  the 
great  Atlantic  rollers,  breaking  in  the  midst  of 
this  tunnel,  shot  up  in  a  cloud  of  spray  through 
two  open  shafts  and  roared  with  thunderous 
noise. 

At  the  middle  of  the  island,  which  is  but  six 
miles  in  length,  was  the  hill  of  Dunchifil, 
crowned  with  a  strong  fortress. 

The  ships,  sailing  up  the  western  shores, 
came  at  last  into  the  harbourage  of  a  calm  land- 
locked bay,  whose  waters  were  so  crystal  clear 
that  one  might  see  the  pebbles  and  sea-urchins 
at  the  bottom,  many  fathoms  deep.  So,  when 
the  anchors  were  all  down,  a  long-boat  was 
launched  from  the  Dragon^  and  Kenric,  with 
Sir  Piers,  Allan  Redmain,  and  one  William 
MacAlpin,  a  cousin  to  the  late  Earl  Hamish, 
were  rowed  ashore. 

From  a  castle  at  the  head  of  the  bay  there 
came  down  an  armed  Norseman,  followed  by  a 
dozen  swordsmen. 

"Whose  are  these  ships?"  said  he   with   a 


THE  EXPEDITION  TO  THE  ISLAND  KINGS        I'Jl 

loud  voice,  "  and  what  men  are  ye  who  have 
brought  them  hither?" 

"  Methinks  our  banner  might  tell  you  that 
they  are  the  ships  of  his  Majesty  of  Scots,"  said 
Kenric  stepping  forward.  "As  to  myself,  since 
you  know  me  not,  my  name  is  Kenric,  the  son 
of  Hamish.  I  am  the  king  of  Gigha,  and  so 
please  you  I  am  come  to  lay  claim  to  my  castles 
and  lands." 

At  this  the  Norseman  bowed  his  head. 

"  God  give  you  joy  of  them,  my  lord,"  said 
he,  and  then  he  drew  his  sword  and  delivered 
it  to  his  master.  "  Little  care  I  what  king  I 
serve  so  long  as  I  have  food  and  drink,  with 
God's  good  gift  of  peace.  And  since  our  Earl 
Roderic  went  hence  to  Bute  we  have  daily  ex- 
pected some  such  happening  as  this.  I  trust, 
my  lord,  you  will  find  that  I,  Olaf  Grimm,  have 
in  the  meantime  taken  good  care  of  your  lands 
and  subjects." 

Then  Kenric  and  his  companions  went  up 
to  the  castle  and  to  the  fortress  upon  the 
heights,  to  take  formal  possession  of  his  little 
kingdom  and  to  receive  the  homage  of  his 
people. 

"And  now,"  said  he  to  Olaf  Grimm,  "  if  there 
be  any  in  Gigha  who  have  wrongs  to  redress 
or  complaint  to  make  to  me,  let  them  be 
called." 

But  Olaf  told  him  that  there  were  none,  for, 


172  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

said  he,  "since  Earl  Roderic  has  been  gone 
we  have  known  naught  but  happiness  and 
peace." 

"  Long  may  that  peace  abide,"  said  Kenric. 
"And  now  do  I  leave  my  kinsman,  William 
MacAlpin,  as  my  chosen  steward  and  gov- 
ernor over  my  lands  and  as  the  defender  of 
my  people." 

Kenric  then  went  on  board  Sir  Piers  de 
Currie's  ship,  taking  a  fisherman  of  Gigha  to 
act  as  pilot,  and  they  left  the  rest  of  their  barks 
at  anchor  in  the  quiet  bay  under  the  care  of 
Allan  Redmain. 

The  Eagle  galley  then  unattended  made  sail 
across  the  wide  channel  westward  towards  Islay, 
whose  high  hills  could  already  be  seen  like  blue 
mists  upon  the  far-off  sea-line. 

"  Now,  my  young  valiant,"  said  Sir  Piers  to 
Harald  the  hostage,  who  sat  upon  the  after- 
deck  looking  wistfully  over  the  tumbling 
waters,  "know  you  the  colour  of  your  native 
hills?" 

"Well  indeed  do  I  know  that,"  said  the  lad, 
"  and  by  your  course  I  now  judge  that  you  are 
indeed  taking  me  home,  for  which  I  am  most 
truly  thankful.  My  sojourn  in  your  country 
has  been  little  to  my  taste.  Well  will  it  be 
for  the  lord  of  Bute,  ay,  and  for  his  Majesty 
of  Scots  also,  if  I  take  not  a  bitter  revenge  for 
all  that  I  have  suffered  at  their  hands.  But. 


THE  EXPEDITION  TO  THE  ISLAND  KINGS       173 

prithee,  turn  your  ship's  head  yet  more  to  the 
southward  to  catch  the  current  of  Loch  Andail, 
and  so  gain  a  few  minutes'  time.  St.  Olaf, 
how  my  heart  beats  at  sight  of  those  hills ! 
Ah,  how  the  moments  lag!  speed  on,  speed 
on!" 

"  Patience,  patience,  Harald,  you  are  not 
landed  yet,"  said  the  knight.  "And  should 
your  good  father  not  choose  to  agree  to  our 
terms,  then  back  you  go  to  Scotland  as  speedily 
as  we  came." 

"  Let  me  but  see  my  father  and  he  will  agree," 
said  Harald. 

"  Let  your  father  agree  and  he  will  see  you," 
returned  Sir  Piers. 

"  Look  you,"  said  the  lad  with  flashing  eyes, 
"  if  you  put  me  not  upon  the  shores  of  Islay  in 
two  hours'  time,  then  by  the  soul  of  St.  Olaf  I 
will  slay  every  man  in  your  ship.  As  to  the 
lord  of  Bute,  I  will  haul  him  up  by  a  rope's  end 
to  your  mast-head  !  " 

"  So  ho !  "  said  Kenric,  "  methinks,  Sir  Piers, 
that  this  little  dog  might  now  have  a  chain 
about  his  pretty  neck.  What  say  you  ?  " 

Sir  Piers  then  ordered  one  of  his  men  to 
take  the  lad  below  and  keep  strict  guard  over 
him. 

Late  that  afternoon  the  galley  entered  the 
beautiful  Loch  Andail  and  sailed  in  between 
ranges  of  fertile  hills,  whose  lower  slopes  were 


174  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

gold  with  ripening  oats  and  waving  barley 
fields.  Islay  was  at  that  time  one  of  the  most 
wealthy  and  prosperous  of  the  Western  Isles, 
thickly  populated,  and  famous  over  all  Scotland 
for  the  rich  produce  of  its  looms  and  the  beauty 
of  its  native  pottery  wares.  It  was  important 
to  Alexander  that  he  should  win  over  the  com- 
plete and  undivided  adherence  of  the  powerful 
ruler  of  so  wealthy  a  country,  and  Sir  Piers 
de  Currie  well  understood  the  gravity  of  his 
mission. 

The  anchor  was  dropped  in  the  middle  of 
the  loch  where  it  widens  above  Bowmore. 
Sir  Piers  and  Kenric,  attended  by  six  armed 
men,  were  taken  ashore.  A  tall  husbandman 
with  a  long  golden  beard  and  sea-blue  eyes 
stood  upon  the  rocks  where  they  landed,  look- 
ing out  at  their  great  ship  from  under  his  wide 
flapping  hat. 

"  Say,  my  good  man,"  said  Sir  Piers,  ad- 
dressing him,  "  say  if  we  may  hope  to  find  my 
lord  the  Earl  John  in  his  castle  of  Bow- 
more  ? " 

"  That,"  said  the  man  smiling  as  he  swung 
his  sickle  from  side  to  side,  "  must  needs  depend 
upon  whether  I  enter  that  castle  before  you  or 
behind  you.  But  doubtless  John  of  Islay  will 
be  right  well  pleased  to  give  you  entertainment 
this  night,  for  'tis  long  since  he  had  news  from 
Scotland,  whence,  if  I  mistake  not,  you  are  now 


THE  EXPEDITION  TO  THE  ISLAND  KINGS        175 

come.  How  fares  our  sovereign  lord  the  King 
—  his  Majesty  Alexander  ?  " 

"  Passing  well,"  said  Sir  Piers,  "for  'tis  but  a 
few  weeks  past  that  I  had  speech  with  him  at 
Dumbarton." 

"Ah,  then  you  heard  also  of  my  son  —  my 
dear  son  Harald?"  cried  Earl  John  eagerly. 
"  The  saints  grant  that  you  bring  me  no  ill 
news  of  him !  But  come,  I  beg  you,  for  'tis  ill- 
mannered  in  me  thus  to  question  you  ere  you 
have  broken  bread." 

Then  the  lord  of  Islay  led  his  visitors  to  his 
castle,  and  there  they  enjoyed  a  right  lordly 
repast  in  the  banqueting-hall.  And  when  the 
feast  was  over  Sir  Piers  de  Currie,  as  ambas- 
sador from  the  King  of  Scots,  claimed  the  hom- 
age of  Earl  John,  who  solemnly  swore  upon 
his  sword  and  by  the  soul  of  his  Majesty  the 
King  that  he  would  be  true  to  his  fealty  to 
Scotland  and  abjure  all  allegiance  to  Hakon  of 
Norway. 

"  My  lord,"  said  Sir  Piers,  "  now  that  you 
have  given  us  this  assurance  of  your  faithful- 
ness, it  is  my  pleasure  to  tell  you  that  your  son 
is  on  board  our  ship  and  will  be  at  once  restored 
to  you.  For  these  are  his  Majesty's  instruc- 
tions." 

In  another  hour  young  Harald  the  hostage 
was  released  from  the  care  of  the  guards  who 
stood  over  him.  But  as  the  lad  left  the  ship  he 


1 76  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD  ' 

shook  his  closed  fist  at  Kenric  and  swore  an 
oath  of  vengeance  upon  him  and  upon  all  the 
men  of  Scotland  whom  he  should  ever  after- 
wards meet. 

Kenric  thought  little  of  this  threat,  but  it  was 
not  long  ere  the  hot-headed  young  viking  put  it 
into  execution. 

Now  so  easily  had  Sir  Piers  de  Currie  fared 
at  Islay,  and  so  much  did  he  pride  himself  upon 
the  success  of  his  first  negotiation,  that  he 
thought  surely  he  would  meet  with  equal  favour 
in  the  other  islands.  Returning  to  Gigha  he 
ordered  a  division  of  his  forces.  Bidding  Ken- 
ric proceed  with  a  squadron  of  six  ships  to  Col- 
onsay,  Coll,  and  Tiree,  he  took  under  his  own 
command  the  six  other  galleys,  namely,  three 
of  Arran,  one  of  Dunoon,  one  of  Galloway,  and 
one  of  Bute,  the  last  being  the  Kraken,  of  which 
Allan  Redmain  was  the  master. 

With  these  six  galleys  Sir  Piers,  leaving 
Gigha  in  advance  of  Kenric,  sailed  for  the  isles 
that  lie  off  the  mainland  of  Argyll  and  Lome, 
agreeing  to  rejoin  Kenric  in  three  weeks'  time 
in  the  sound  of  lona. 

The  first  island  Sir  Piers  went  to  after  leaving 
Gigha  was  the  isle  of  Jura.  But  there  he  soon 
found  that  Erland  the  Old  was  not  so  easily  to 
be  won  over  as  his  neighbour  of  Islay,  for  he 
had  already  renounced  all  allegiance  to  Scotland 
and  was  in  open  league  with  the  King  of  Nor- 


THE  EXPEDITION  TO  THE  ISLAND  KINGS       177 

way.  So  when  he  saw  the  six  ships  of  the 
Clyde  sailing  along  his  rugged  coasts  he  mus- 
tered all  his  retainers  by  the  summons  of  the 
fiery  cross  and  gave  fight.  There  was  a  vigor- 
ous battle  in  the  sound  of  Jura,  with  much 
slaughter  on  either  side.  The  ship  of  Dunoon 
was  captured  by  the  men  of  Jura,  and  all  on 
board  were  brutally  slain. 

Then  Sir  Piers  de  Currie  and  Allan  Redmain 
with  their  remaining  galleys  sailed  yet  farther 
up  the  strait  and  landed  on  the  north  of  Jura 
and  sacked  many  villages  till  the  burns  ran  red 
with  blood.  The  men  of  Galloway  fought  as 
wild  wolves,  and  much  ado  had  their  leader  to 
stop  them  from  breaking  into  the  monastery  and 
chapels  and  plundering  them  of  the  treasures 
that  were  therein  stored. 

In  the  midst  of  this  bloody  work  Erland  the 
Old  again  appeared  with  his  army  of  islanders 
from  the  south,  and  at  last  drove  off  the  invaders, 
capturing  the  galley  of  Galloway  and  dealing 
with  her  crew  as  the  gallant  men  of  Dunoon 
had  already  been  dealt  with. 

Thus  repulsed,  Sir  Piers  drew  off  and  crossed 
to  the  mainland,  taking  shelter  in  the  loch  of 
Crinan.  The  good  master  of  Duntroon  Castle, 
who  was  for  the  Scots,  gave  succour  to  the 
wounded  men,  and  supplied  reinforcements  to 
the  number  of  forty  retainers. 

After  five  days  the  four  ships  sailed  off  again, 


178  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

taking  possession  in  the  name  of  the  Scots  king 
of  the  isles  of  Scarba,  Luing,  Seil,  Kerrera,  and 
Lismore,  besieging  many  castles  and  imposing 
oaths  of  fealty  upon  their  lords,  and  lastly  to  the 
great  isle  of  Mull,  whose  king  was  a  true  Scot 
and  most  friendly  disposed. 

By  this  time  the  three  weeks  were  passed, 
and  they  sailed  round  the  south  of  Mull  and 
anchored  in  the  offing  between  Staffa  and  lona. 
So  anchored,  they  waited  for  Kenric's  squadron. 
But  the  days  went  by;  the  month  of  August 
passed  into  September,  and  Kenric  did  not 
appear.  A  watch  was  kept  both  night  and  day, 
yet  the  six  ships  that  were  so  anxiously  expected 
came  not  to  the  appointed  place. 


CHAPTER   XIX 

STORMING   AN    ISLAND    STRONGHOLD 

ONE  morning  very  early  Allan  Redmain  was 
on  watch.  He  had  had  his  fill  of  fight- 
ing, and  not  few  were  the  wounds  he  had  re- 
ceived of  both  arrow  and  spear.  Wrapped  in 
his  warm  plaid,  he  paced  the  deck.  The  sea- 
gulls flew  about  the  mast-head  and  dipped  into 
the  blue  water.  The  mountains  of  Mull  were 


STORMING    AN    ISLAND    STRONGHOLD         179 

shrouded  in  white  mist.  Suddenly  Allan  paused 
in  his  walk  and  looked  northward  towards  the 
little  isle  of  Staffa.  On  the  sea-line  he  saw  what 
at  first  he  took  to  be  the  Treshnish  Islands;  but 
soon  these  faint  shadows  loomed  more  distinct 
through  the  morning  mist  and  took  the  shape 
of  ships'  sails.  Six  ships  he  counted. 

"  Kenric  is  safe !  "  he  sighed.  Then  ordering 
one  of  his  small-boats  to  be  lowered,  he  went  to 
tell  the  good  news  to  Sir  Piers  on  his  galley 
hard  by.  But  as  together  they  looked  across 
the  sea  they  counted  yet  another  ship. 

"You  mistake,  Allan,"  said  Sir  Piers. 
"  These  are  not  Kenric's  ships  at  all,  but 
the  galleys  of  my  lord  of  Ross,  who  has,  as 
you  know,  been  upon  an  expedition  similar  to 
our  own  —  to  Skye  and  Lewis." 

"Alas !  "  said  Allan.  "  Then,  where  can  Ken- 
ric be  ? " 

"  Where  indeed  ?  "  sighed  Sir  Piers. 

At  this  moment  one  of  the  men  of  Arran 
touched  his  master's  arm. 

"  There  is  a  fishing-coracle  coming  alongside 
of  us,  my  master,"  said  he,  "  with  two  fishermen 
in  her."' 

Sir  Piers  and  Allan  crossed  the  deck  and 
saw  a  small  boat  bearing  towards  them,  rowed 
by  a  brawny  western  islander. 

"  Saint  Columba  protect  us !  "  cried  Allan. 
"  Look  but  at  that  man  sitting  in  the  stern ! 


l8o  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

'Tis  none  other  than  Duncan  Graham  of  Rothe- 
say,  my  lord  Kenric's  henchman.  Whence 
comes  he  ?  and  where  is  his  master?  Duncan  ! 
Duncan  !  "  he  called. 

Duncan  raised  his  eyes.  His  face  was  hag- 
gard and  wan.  His  cheeks  were  thin,  his 
clothes  torn  and  blood-stained. 

Allan  threw  down  a  rope's  end,  and  the  boat 
was  drawn  alongside.  Scarcely  able  to  move 
his  gaunt  limbs,  Duncan  clambered  up  the  gal- 
ley's side  and  fell  upon  the  deck,  moaning. 
From  under  his  ragged  plaid  he  drew  a  formi- 
dable sword  and  held  it  towards  Allan  without 
speaking  a  word. 

"  The  Thirsty  Sword !  "  cried  Allan  in  dread 
surprise  as  he  took  the  weapon.  "Alas!  Kenric 
is  most  surely  dead  !  " 

"  Not  so !  "  moaned  Duncan,  lolling  out  his 
tongue.  "Ah,  food,  food ! " 

Then  Sir  Piers  de  Currie  bent  down,  and 
with  the  help  of  Allan  took  up  the  giant  form 
of  Duncan,  and  carried  him  below  into  the 
cabin. 

For  two  long  hours  the  man  lay  without 
uttering  a  word.  But  the  warm  wine  with 
which  they  fed  him  brought  back  something 
of  his  strength.  He  put  his  hand  to  his  chest 
to  show  that  he  was  wounded.  Allan  Red- 
main  drew  away  the  garments  and  revealed  a 
gaping  sword-wound. 


STORMING    AN    ISLAND    STRONGHOLD         l8l 

"  No ;  not  dead,"  moaned  Duncan.  "  He  yet 
lives.  But  oh,  my  masters,  hasten  to  his  aid, 
for  he  is  even  now  a  helpless  prisoner  in  the 
dark  dungeon  of  Breacacha  Castle." 

"A  prisoner  ?  "  echoed  Allan. 

"Breacacha?"  said  Sir  Piers.  "Where  is 
that  castle  ?  In  what  isle  ? " 

"  Over  in  Coll,"  said  Duncan,  pointing  west- 
ward across  the  sea. 

Then  from  the  ships  of  the  Earl  of  Ross 
came  the  loud  call  of  a  clarion-horn.  Sir  Piers 
de  Currie  moved  to  go  on  deck. 

"  Stay,  stay,  Sir  Piers,"  said  Allan  Redmain. 
"  Ere  you  go,  give  me,  I  implore  you,  the  liberty 
to  take  two  of  our  ships  across  to  Coll,  that  I 
may  save  my  friend  and  master  and  rescue  him 
from  out  his  dungeon." 

"Little  need  have  you  to  ask  that,  Allan," 
said  the  knight.  "Would  that  I  might  accom- 
pany you !  But  I  am  in  the  hands  of  my  lord 
of  Ross,  whose  orders,  by  the  King's  instruc- 
tions, I  am  now  subject  to.  But  ere  I  resign 
my  command,  let  my  last  directions  be  to  you, 
Allan.  Take  two  of  our  galleys,  with  what 
men  you  will.  Rescue  our  dear  young  friend 
even  if  need  be  at  the  cost  of  your  own  life,  and 
God  be  with  you.  Farewell." 

Allan  Redmain  had  Duncan  carried  upon 
the  Kraken  galley,  and,  taking  also  the  Seahorse 
of  Arran,  with  a  full  company  of  men  upon 


1 82  THE   THIRSTY    SWORD 

each,  he  set  out  to  cross  the  twenty  miles  of 
sea  that  divide  lona  from  the  island  of  Coll ; 
while  Sir  Piers  de  Currie  repaired  on  board  the 
flag-ship  of  the  Earl  of  Ross. 

"And  now,  Duncan,"  said  Allan,  when  his 
two  vessels  were  well  under  way,  "  take,  I  beg 
you,  a  little  more  food  —  " 

"  No,  no,"  said  Duncan,  bracing  himself  up. 
"  I  have  already  taken  what  will  serve  me  till  I 
tell  you  all  that  has  befallen  my  young  master. 
Not  another  bite  passes  my  lips  until  I  have 
seen  him  again  in  life.  But,  lest  by  chance 
my  own  life's  breath  ebb  out  too  soon,  let  me 
direct  you  to  this  stronghold  wherein  the  Earl 
Kenric  lies  lingering  to  his  death  in  bitter 
hunger.  Know,  then,  that  the  castle  of  Brea- 
cacha  lies  at  the  south-east  of  Coll.  Could  I 
have  got  within  its  strong  walls,  as  you  and 
your  men-at-arms  may  now  do,  haply  I  might 
have  saved  him.  But  I  alone  am  left  of  those 
who  followed  him  ashore,  and  I  could  not  reach 
him  without  help.  The  great  God  be  thanked 
that  I  have  at  last  found  it." 

Then  Duncan,  groaning,  threw  back  his 
head  and  closed  his  eyes. 

"  Men  of  Bute,"  said  Allan,  returning  to  his 
shipmates,  "yonder,  in  that  isle  that  you  see 
across  the  waters,  our  lord  Kenric  lies  perish- 
ing of  hunger  in  a  castle  dungeon.  No  more 
need  I  say  to  you,  my  brave  comrades,  for  well 


STORMING   AN    ISLAND   STRONGHOLD         183 

do  I  know  that  there  is  no  man  of  you  who 
will  think  of  rest  until  we  have  saved  him. 
Speed  you,  my  lads,  work  well  your  oars,  and 
God  grant  that  we  be  yet  in  time." 

"  Kenric  !  Kenric  !  "  they  cried  with  one  voice 
as  they  fell  to  their  oars,  and  so  the  ship  sped 
on  over  the  chopping  waves,  leaving  the  com- 
panion galley  of  Arran  to  follow  in  the  wake. 

"  Now,  Duncan,  if  so  be  you  have  the 
strength,"  said  Allan,  going  back  to  his  cabin, 
"  I  would  hear  what  you  have  yet  to  tell." 

Duncan  raised  himself  on  his  elbow  and 
began.  His  tale  was  told  with  feeble,  faltering 
voice,  and  not  until  afterwards  did  Allan  hear 
it  in  all  its  particulars. 

Kenric,  with  his  squadron  of  six  galleys,  left 
the  little  isle  of  Gigha  ere  the  galleys  of  Sir 
Piers  de  Currie  were  well  out  of  sight.  Through 
the  fierce  sound  of  Islay  his  good  ships  sailed 
as  with  spreading  wings,  and  the  next  morning 
he  sighted  the  isle  of  Oronsay.  Taking  the 
western  coast,  he  crept  up  to  the  more  northern 
isle  of  Colonsay,  and  stood  off  a  little  village 
that  had  a  castle  in  its  midst.  Above  the  gates 
of  this  castle,  that  was  called  Dungallan,  waved 
the  white  falcon  banner  of  the  old  Norse  vi- 
kings. On  seeing  it,  Kenric  hoisted  the  banner 
of  the  Scottish  lion. 

Now  the  position  held  at  this  time  by  both 
Erland  of  Jura  and  Sweyn  of  Colonsay — vas- 


184  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

sals  both  of  Hakon  of  Norway — was  shown 
in  the  conversation  that  was  the  prelude  to  the 
murder  of  the  good  Earl  Hamish  of  Bute.  Of 
the  attitude  held  by  these  two  island  kings 
towards  Scotland,  Kenric,  however,  knew  noth- 
ing, and  though  it  may  be  that  he  was  eager 
enough  to  meet  Earl  Sweyn  the  Silent  in  mor- 
tal combat,  yet  he  did  not  forget  the  caution  of 
King  Alexander  against  drawing  the  sword  ere 
the  tongue  had  done  its  work.  He  was  loth  to 
show  battle,  while  he  was  careful  enough  not 
to  venture  ashore  unprepared  for  a  warlike 
reception. 

As  Kenric  was  making  ready  to  land  he 
looked  towards  the  shore,  and  there  came  down 
some  fourscore  of  the  men  of  Colonsay.  Fair- 
haired  sons  of  the  North  they  were,  all  well 
armed  and  ready  to  resist  the  strangers  with  a 
shower  of  their  swift  arrows.  Then  Kenric 
knew  that  there  was  to  be  no  chance  of  a  peace- 
ful parley,  and  he  made  no  more  ado  but  drew 
his  galleys  inshore,  and  bidding  his  men  crouch 
down  in  the  shelter  of  their  bulwarks  he  as- 
sailed the  islanders  with  such  volleys  of  well- 
directed  arrows  that  they  soon  began  to  retreat 
towards  their  stronghold,  leaving  several  dead 
and  wounded  lying  upon  the  beach. 

It  so  chanced  that  the  island  was  at  that 
time  but  ill  protected,  for  Earl  Sweyn  had 
gone  on  a  roving  cruise  upon  the  seas,  leaving 


STORMING    AN    ISLAND    STRONGHOLD         185 

a  weakened  garrison  to  defend  his  people.  By 
what  means  the  remaining  islanders  had  so 
promptly  prepared  themselves  for  the  arrival  of 
the  invaders  Kenric  did  not  pause  to  conject- 
ure, but  that  they  had  been  warned  of  his 
coming  he  could  not  doubt.  Had  he  by  chance 
caught  sight  of  young  Harald  of  Islay  standing 
apart  on  the  heights  the  matter  had  needed  no 
deep  questioning.  For  that  young  viking  had 
lost  no  time  in  crossing  over  to  Colonsay,  and 
though  the  lord  of  the  island  was  absent  he 
nevertheless  warned  the  garrison  that  Kenric 
of  Bute,  with  a  squadron  of  twelve  galleys,  was 
about  to  make  a  raid  upon  their  island,  and 
that  it  behooved  them  to  make  speedy  prepa- 
rations to  resist  him. 

His  landing  being  now  possible,  owing  to 
the  retreat  of  the  defenders,  Kenric  ordered 
twoscore  of  men  from  each  of  his  ships  to  take 
their  arms  and  follow  him  ashore.  With  two 
hundred  and  forty  men-at-arms  he  then  landed. 
His  own  retainers  of  Bute  formed  in  a  com- 
pact body  upon  the  strand,  and  led  by  himself 
and  Duncan  Graham  they  at  once  marched 
towards  the  castle.  But  John  Dornoch's  men 
of  Galloway  waited  not  to  give  order  to  their 
ranks,  neither  stayed  they  for  the  word  of  com- 
mand from  Kenric,  but  rushed  in  hot  pursuit 
of  the  islanders  through  the  little  street  of 
their  village. 


1 86  THE   THIRSTY    SWORD 

Now  the  wild  Scots  of  Galloway,  whom 
Alexander  had  sent  as  a  contribution  to  the 
forces,  were  as  yet  little  known  to  Kenric,  and 
he  was  not  long  in  discovering  that  he  might 
have  done  far  better  without  them.  They  had 
joined  the  expedition  with  minds  bent  upon 
pillage  and  slaughter.  They  were  by  nature 
a  people  of  wild  and  ferocious  habits,  a  fierce 
and  ungovernable  set  of  men  who  fought  half 
naked,  and  were  wont  to  commit  acts  of  untold 
cruelty  upon  the  inhabitants  of  the  countries 
they  invaded.  Also,  as  both  Sir  Piers  de 
Currie  and  Kenric  discovered  to  their  cost, 
they  were  never  content  but  in  leading  the  van 
in  battle. 

Ere  Kenric  and  his  well-ordered  men  arrived 
at  the  castle  the  Gallwegians  had  already  as- 
sailed the  gate,  and  in  despite  of  many  arrows 
that  fell  about  them  from  the  towers  and  loop- 
holes, they  hammered  with  great  clubs  and  iron 
battering-bars,  clamouring  for  blood.  The  gate 
soon  gave  way  before  the  assault  of  their  vigor- 
ous blows.  Then  the  Gallwegians,  with  cries 
of  triumph,  rushed  in  upon  the  defending  gar- 
rison, followed  presently  by  Kenric  and  his 
retainers  of  Bute.  A  guard  of  some  fifty  men 
met  them  within  the  fallen  gates  and  boldly 
defended  their  stronghold  with  swords  and 
pikes.  The  men  of  Galloway  leading,  mowed 
them  down  and  passed  over  their  dead  bodies, 


TEARING    DOWN    THE    NORWEGIAN    FLAG. 


STORMING    AN    ISLAND    STRONGHOLD         187 

until,  finding  no  further  resistance,  they  pro- 
ceeded to  their  work  of  plunder. 

Kenric,  leaving  his  men  with  Duncan,  and 
calling  but  a  dozen  to  follow  him,  ascended  to 
the  battlements  and  tore  down  the  Norwegian 
flag.  He  searched  about  for  Earl  Sweyn,  be- 
lieving he  was  in  hiding.  But  neither  Sweyn 
nor  his  steward  could  he  find,  nor  any  living 
man  who  could  tell  him  where  the  lord  of 
Colonsay  might  be. 

His  men,  ranked  in  order  now  without  the 
gates,  awaited  him,  and,  returning,  he  led  them 
in  the  direction  of  the  beach.  But  as  he  passed 
through  the  little  settlement  of  wooden  huts  a 
fearful  scene  presented  itself.  The  men  of  Gal- 
loway whom  he  had  left  upon  their  two  galleys, 
had  boldly  followed  their  countrymen  ashore, 
led  by  their  under-captain.  While  Kenric,  who 
had  himself  not  yet  struck  a  blow,  was  within 
the  castle,  these  wild  men  had  fallen  upon  the 
village.  They  had  burst  open  the  doors  of  the 
cottages  and  ferociously  slain  the  innocent 
people.  Every  threshold  was  bespattered  with 
blood.  Before  Kenric  had  time  to  interfere,  or 
even  to  realize  what  had  taken  place,  many 
of  the  homes  had  been  plundered  and  laid 
waste. 

On  a  little  knoll  above  the  village  a  band  of 
the  Gallwegians  had  gathered  in  a  crowd.  As 
Kenric  went  towards  them  he  heard  screams  of 


l88  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

terror  and  of  pain.  With  his  buckler  on  his  left 
arm,  and  in  his  hand  the  Thirsty  Sword  that 
had  not  yet  been  used,  he  led  his  men  onward 
and  forced  his  way  into  the  crowd.  Three 
women,  who  had  been  with  others  escaping  to 
the  hills,  now  lay  slain  upon  the  grass,  with 
their  slaughtered  infants  by  their  sides.  A  shock 
of  horror  overcame  Kenric  as  he  saw  two-  burly 
Gallwegians  in  their  wanton  fury  raise  each  a 
small  child  upon  the  point  of  his  spear,  and 
shake  the  spear  until  the  child,  pierced  through 
the  body,  fell  down  to  his  hands. 

"  Fiends  and  dogs  !  "  cried  Kenric  grasping 
firmly  his  sword.  "  Cowards  and  brutes  !  "  and 
wielding  his  weapon  with  a  mighty  swoop  he 
brought  it  down  once,  twice,  upon  the  miscre- 
ants' heads.  "Now!"  he  cried  yet  again  as  he 
stood  with  one  foot  upon  the  bleeding  head  of 
one  of  the  men  he  had  slain.  "  Now,  you  vile 
dogs !  let  another  of  you  touch  one  of  these  in- 
nocent children  that  remain  and  my  sword  shall 
cleave  his  head  in  twain."  He  looked  to  some 
twenty  fear-stricken  children  who  with  their 
mothers  stood  in  a  group  at  his  right  side. 
"Back  to  your  ships, ye  brutes!"  he  continued. 
"  Back  this  instant !  " 

"Who,  then,  are  you  that  you  so  dare  to 
command  my  men  ?  "  exclaimed  John  Dornoch, 
their  captain,  as  with  dripping  sword  and  menac- 


STORMING    AN    ISLAND    STRONGHOLD         189 

ing  looks  he  stepped  forward  and  confronted 
Kenric. 

"What  ?  And  you,  the  captain  of  these  men, 
would  excuse  this  spilling  of  innocent  blood  — 
this  massacre  of  women  and  children ! "  cried 
Kenric,  flushing  crimson  with  just  fury.  "Who 
bade  you  thus  to  take  the  lives  of  the  helpless  ? 
I  am  your  leader  here.  By  the  King's  own  ap- 
pointment do  I  lead  you.  It  is  I  who  will  be 
held  accountable  for  this  most  wicked  slaughter. 
And  now,  John  Dornoch,  I  do  command  you  to 
return  to  your  galleys  and  take  your  band  of 
ruffians  with  you." 

"  Men  of  Galloway !  "  cried  Dornoch,  "  heed 
not  the  mawkish  cries  of  this  upstart  stripling. 
Obey  my  bidding  and  spare  not,  but  kill,  kill!" 

Then  Kenric,  hearing  this,  gripped  with  both 
hands  his  ponderous  sword,  looked  round  for  a 
moment  to  see  that  his  own  faithful  men  were 
near  to  defend  the  children,  and  said  with  loud 
voice  which  all  could  hear: 

"  Dornoch  of  Galloway,  those  men  shall  not 
obey  your  inhuman  commands.  Come  on ! 
stripling  or  man,  'tis  not  such  mean  cowards  as 
you  whom  I  would  fear.  Come  on,  I  say !  " 

Dornoch  advanced  with  a  mocking  smile  on 
his  lips  and  raised  his  sword.  The  crowd  drew 
back.  He  was  full  ten  inches  taller  than  Kenric 
of  Bute,  and  the  muscles  of  his  broad  bare  chest 
were  as  the  roots  of  a  tree  that  rise  above  the 


THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

ground ;  as  the  nether  boughs  of  the  fir-tree 
were  his  strong  and  hairy  arms.  Little  cause 
did  he  see  to  shrink  from  combat  with  the  youth 
who  thus  challenged  him. 

Their  weapons  crossed  and  clashed.  It  seemed 
to  Kenric  that  his  sword  urged  him  with  a  force 
that  he  could  not  disobey.  He  made  a  few 
quick  passes,  then  with  the  full  strength  in  his 
arms  and  his  supple  body  he  smote  his  antago- 
nist a  terrible  blow  upon  the  head,  cutting  down 
even  to  the  collar-bone.  Then  Dornoch  fell 
to  the  ground  and  moved  no  more. 

The  Gallwegians,  seeing  the  fire  that  was  in 
Kenric's  eyes  and  marvelling  at  his  skill  and 
strength,  shrank  back  amazed  and  cowed. 

"  Now  let  one  of  you  fail  to  obey  me  and  I 
will  serve  him  as  I  have  served  your  captain," 
cried  Kenric  with  stern  menace.  "  Back  to  your 
galleys  with  you  this  instant!"  and  the  men 
slunk  off,  crestfallen  and  dismayed. 

"  Right  well  have  you  served  that  hound,  my 
lord,"  said  Duncan,  "  for  he  was  indeed  a  very 
brute.  Fear  not  that  his  curs  will  now  disobey 
you,  and  trust  in  our  faithful  men  of  Bute,  who 
will  give  their  lives  ere  any  further  wrong  be 
done.  And  now  methinks  'twere  well  that  we 
hastened  to  the  priory,  for  when  we  came  into 
the  crowd  I  heard  some  of  these  scoundrels 
speak  of  the  plunder  some  of  their  band  are 
seeking  in  that  holy  place." 


STORMING    AN    ISLAND    STRONGHOLD 

"  Infamous  dogs !  "  muttered  Kenric.  "  Oh  to 
think  that  I  should  be  doomed  to  be  the  leader 
of  men  so  wicked !  " 

Leading  the  way  to  the  priory,  which  was  to 
the  south  of  the  village,  he  found  that  even  this 
sacred  edifice  had  not  escaped  sacrilege.  The 
priory  grange  had  been  sacked  and  pillaged. 
Two  of  the  friars  had  been  slain  whilst  defend- 
ing the  villagers  who  had  taken  refuge  in  the 
sanctuary,  and  when  Kenric  appeared  at  the 
head  of  his  troops  a  band  of  the  men  of  Gallo- 
way were  in  the  act  of  setting  the  chapel  in 
flames ;  a  heap  of  straw  was  piled  before  the 
arched  door.  But  just  as  the  flints  were  being 
struck  to  make  a  light  Duncan  Graham  fell 
upon  the  men,  throwing  them  aside,  and  the 
building  was  saved. 

Many  hours  did  it  occupy  Kenric  ere  he 
could,  even  in  a  small  way,  appease  the  wrath 
of  the  much-injured  islanders  and  restore  to 
them  their  devastated  homes.  His  men  of 
Bute  returned  to  their  ships  without  so  much 
as  a  sword  wound.  Twelve  of  the  Gallwegians 
had  been  slain  and  many  wounded,  but  even 
the  most  unruly  now  bowed  before  the  com- 
mands of  the  young  lord  of  Bute,  and  went 
back  in  submission  to  their  posts. 

The  isle  of  Colonsay  had  been  taken ;  but, 
saving  only  at  the  moment  of  landing,  there  had 
been  no  fair  fighting,  and  with  such  forces 


192  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

behind  him,  Kenric  might  have  taken  the  ill- 
protected  island  without  the  drawing  of  a  sword. 
The  wanton  massacre  of  the  women  and  chil- 
dren was  a  thing  which  no  man  of  honour  could 
excuse,  and  Kenric  felt  that  he  had  rather  have 
been  the  vanquished  than  the  conqueror  under 
such  conditions.  His  grief  for  those  who  had 
fallen  victims  to  the  wild  Gallwegians  was 
only  partly  softened  by  the  remembrance  that 
he  had  at  least  saved  their  brethren  from  further 
inhumanity. 

Having  taken  formal  possession  of  the  island 
and  gathered  his  forces  together,  he  went  on 
board  the  ships  of  Galloway.  There  he  severely 
rebuked  the  men  for  what  they  had  done,  and 
threatened  them  with  punishment  if  any  should 
again  prove  unruly.  Then  he  picked  out  two- 
score  of  those  who  had  been  faithful  to  their 
posts  in  remaining  on  board  instead  of  rushing 
after  their  companions,  and  these  he  left,  under 
trusty  officers  of  his  own,  with  one  of  the  gal- 
leys, in  charge  of  the  island. 

This  proceeding,  made  in  the  interests  of  the 
people  of  Colonsay,  was  in  some  respects  un- 
wise, for  by  this  means  the  most  savage  and 
ungovernable  were  now  quartered  aboard  one 
ship.  But  Kenric  made  no  doubt  that  with  his 
own  four  galleys  and  their  crews  he  would  have 
no  further  trouble.  So  indeed  it  might  have 
been.  But  in  crossing  with  his  five  vessels  over 


ALONE    WITH    DEATH  1 93 

the  stretch  of  sea  between  Colonsay  and  Tiree 
he  encountered  a  strong  gale  from  the  south- 
east. The  Gallwegians,  being  indifferent  sea- 
men, fell  off  to  leeward  and  lost  control  of  their 
galley.  In  the  night-time  they  were  driven  out 
into  the  Atlantic  beyond  Skerryvore.  When 
the  storm  abated  they  drifted  northward,  landed 
on  many  islands  in  turn,  playing  great  havoc 
amongst  the  children  of  the  old  vikings,  and  so 
disgracing  their  own  country  Scotland  that  the 
Norsemen  of  the  -Hebrides  vowed  vengeance 
upon  all  Scots  wheresoever  they  might  en- 
counter them. 


CHAPTER   XX 

ALONE    WITH    DEATH 

KENRIC  with  his  squadron,  reduced  now  to 
four  galleys,  voyaged  to  the  isle  of  Tiree 
—  a  distance  of  about  fifty  miles  from  Colonsay. 
There,  without  drawing  arrow  from  sheath  or 
sword  from  scabbard,  he  prevailed  over  the  lord 
of  that  land  to  give  him  surety  of  his  adherence 
to  King  Alexander,  and  a  solemn  declaration 
that  he  would  remain  true  to  his  oaths.  And 
then  the  barks  departed  for  Coll. 

Now  young  Harald  of  Islay  having  warned 
the  people  of  Colonsay  of  the  approach  of  the 


194  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

invaders,  bade  his  men  take  him  at  once  to  the 
isle  of  Coll,  whither,  as  it  chanced,  Earl  Sweyn 
the  Silent  had  gone,  and  there  the  lad  told  the 
same  tale  of  how  Kenric  of  Bute  was  bent  upon 
making  conquest  of  the  isles,  yet  breathing  no 
word  of  how  King  Alexander  had  ordered  the 
expedition.  The  men  of  Coll,  thus  warned, 
would  not  brook  that  the  ships  of  Bute  should 
touch  at  their  island,  so  ere  Kenric  had  yet 
arrived  at  Tiree  they  got  their  many  galleys 
together,  and  joining  with  the  forces  of  Earl 
Sweyn  they  stood  off  behind  the  little  isle  of 
Gunna,  ready  to  make  an  onslaught  upon  the 
squadron  that  Kenric  was  leading. 

"  It  was  night,"  said  Duncan,  in  telling  his 
story  to  Allan  Redmain  —  "  It  was  night  when 
we  came  abreast  of  the  isle  of  Coll,  and  we 
anchored  in  the  wide  bay  of  Crossapol.  When 
the  day's  light  fell  upon  the  sea  my  lord  Kenric 
came  to  me,  and,  said  he,  *  Duncan,  launch  me 
the  long-boat  with  a  dozen  men,  and  come 
with  me,  for  I  will  now  land  upon  this  island 
and  seek  for  the  king's  castle.'  So  thereupon 
we  landed. 

"  Not  long  had  we  been  ashore  when  from 
the  top  of  a  little-  hill  we  saw,  above  the  next 
bay,  the  castle  that  men  call  Breacacha.  And 
going  down  to  it,  we  were  near  to  its  gates 
when  behold  there  came  out  a  full  twoscore  of 
armed  men,  and  they  fell  upon  us  with  swords 


ALONE    WITH    DEATH  1 95 

and  spears.  Fourteen  men  we  were  against 
forty,  and  we  fought  for  two  long  hours,  until 
of  the  men  of  Bute  there  were  left  but  three 
alive,  John  Campbell  of  Glen  More,  my  master, 
and  myself.  I  was  sorely  wounded  in  the  chest 
and  like  to  fall  down  from  the  loss  of  blood.  Of 
the  men  of  Coll  five  remained.  Twelve  of 
their  comrades  my  lord  Kenric  had  slain  with 
his  mighty  sword,  and  with  little  hurt  to  him- 
self, saving  only  that  his  breath  had  grown 
weak. 

"  But  one  of  our  foemen,  who  was  the  tallest 
man  my  eyes  have  yet  beheld,  at  last  encoun- 
tered my  master.  He  smote  him  a  sorry  cut 
upon  his  arm  and  bore  down  upon  him  so  that 
he  fell  as  dead.  Another  man  picked  up  the 
Thirsty  Sword,  as  I  could  see,  for  his  own  had 
just  been  broken.  And  knowing  what  manner 
of  weapon  it  was,  I  made  a  great  effort  and 
slew  the  man  who  was  pressing  upon  me. 
Then  I  met  him  who  now  held  my  lord's  sword 
in  his  hands.  Scarce  had  he  raised  it  against 
me  when  I  snatched  my  dirk  from  my  side 
and  flung  it  at  his  throat,  caught  his  hand,  and, 
slaying  him,  rescued  my  lord's  weapon. 

"  By  this  time  John  Campbell  had  fallen 
under  the  hands  of  the  other  three  men  of  Coll, 
and  I  alone  was  left,  standing  over  the  body  of 
Earl  Kenric,  to  defend  it  against  the  three 
warriors  who  now  remained.  But  as  they 


1 96  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

came  to  assail  me  I  fell  down  in  a  swoon  beside 
my  lord,  and  they  wist  that  I  was  dead. 

"  Now  when  my  wits  returned  to  me  I  felt 
something  move  at  my  side,  and  then  I  saw 
that  Earl  Kenric  was  yet  alive,  and  that  he  had 
but  fallen  from  want  of  breath  and  strength. 
Twoscore  and  nine  brave  men  lay  dead  upon 
the  heather.  In  their  midst,  with  their  backs 
towards  us,  sat  the  three  men  of  Coll,  resting 
their  limbs  after  that  morning's  battle. 

"  My  lord  Kenric  looked  about  him  for  his 
sword,  not  knowing  that  it  was  lying  under  my 
own  frail  body.  I  could  neither  move  nor  give 
it  to  him,  nor  could  I  speak  for  the  fear  that 
the  men  would  turn  round  and  finish  us. 

"  Earl  Kenric  boldly  rose  and  went  behind 
the  men.  Ere  he  was  two  yards  from  them 
they  stood  up,  and  seeing  him  they  spoke.  I 
know  not  what  they  said,  for  I  understand  not 
the  Norse  tongue,  Master  Allan,  but  the  tall 
man  went  up  to  him,  leaving  his  sword  upon 
the  heather,  and  took  my  lord  up  in  his  arms 
and  carried  him  away.  The  two  others  followed. 
Then  was  I  in  a  great  agony  of  despair,  think- 
ing they  meant  to  slay  him  by  some  terrible 
torture.  And  I  had  not  strength  to  save  him. 

"  Not  far  had  they  gone  when  in  the  morning 
silence  I  heard  the  tinkling  of  a  stream  near 
by.  Thither  I  crept  and  took  a  draught  of  its 
cool  water.  So  much  was  my  strength  renewed 


ALONE    WITH    DEATH  1 97 

by  that  blessed  beverage,  that  I  could  have 
gone  through  that  battle  once  again  if  so  be  I 
might  save  Earl  Kenric's  life. 

"  I  followed  the  three  men  to  the  castle. 
They  had  left  the  bridge  down  and  the  gates 
open.  But  scarcely  had  I  got  within  when  by 
the  sounds  I  heard  I  knew  that  they  were  low- 
ering my  master  into  one  of  their  dungeons. 
I  heard  him  cry  aloud.  'Ah,  had  I  but  my 
sword  ! '  he  cried  in  our  own  tongue.  And  then 
his  voice  sounded  low  down  in  the  depths,  and 
though  I  knew  he  was  yet  alive  and  strong,  yet 
I  knew  also  that  it  was  no  easy  task  to  rescue 
him  from  that  place. 

"  Ere  I  reached  the  chamber  wherein  the 
dungeon  opened  out,  the  three  men  met  me. 
They  had  left  their  weapons  outside.  Grasping 
my  lord's  sword  and  calling  upon  Saint  Co- 
lumba,  I  assailed  those  three  men  in  such  wise 
that  they  soon  lay  dead  at  my  feet ;  for  they 
could  not  pass  me.  '  Kenric,  my  lord  Kenric ! ' 
I  cried  aloud.  And  I  heard  him  answer  my 
name. 

"  But  this  uproar  of  righting  and  shouting 
alarmed  the  people  within  the  castle,  and  think- 
ing full  surely  that  a  host  of  the  reserve  garrison 
were  coming  to  avenge  the  death  of  their  com- 
rades slain,  coward  that  I  am,  I  retreated  with- 
out the  gates,  leaving  my  dear  master  within. 

"  Now  it  befell,  Master  Allan,  that,  as  I  had 


198  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

slain  those  three  men  who  alone  knew  where 
my  lord  had  been  imprisoned,  and  as  I  had  not 
the  wit  to  speak  with  any  of  those  Norse  folk, 
it  was  little  that  I  could  do  —  " 

"  You  have  done  well,  Duncan,  in  coming  for 
what  aid  we  now  can  give,"  said  Allan  Redmain. 
"  But  say,  how  long  time  is  it  since  my  lord  was 
thus  made  captive  ?  " 

"  Five  days  as  I  count,"  said  Duncan,  "  and 
had  it  not  been  for  the  thing  that  I  next  dis- 
covered he  had  not  been  there  five  hours. 
When  I  found  myself  outside  the  castle  and 
with  the  bridge  drawn  up,  I  hied  me  over  the 
hill  towards  the  ships.  Alas !  they  were  no 
longer  there  in  the  bay  where  we  had  left  them. 
They  were  standing  out  to  sea,  with  seven  great 
Norse  galleys  and  as  many  fishing-boats  pursu- 
ing them." 

"  Alas  !  "  said  Allan ;  "  and  whose  ships  were 
those  ? " 

"  They  were  three  galleys  of  Coll  and  four 
of  Colonsay,"  said  Duncan,  "  as  I  learned  three 
days  past  when  they  returned  to  Breacacha. 
Our  own  four  ships  of  Bute  came  not  within 
sight  again,  and  I  fear  they  have  gone  back  to 
Rothesay." 

"  Not  so,"  said  Allan  confidently.  "  Our  men 
would  never  return  without  truthfully  knowing 
how  it  had  fared  with  Earl  Kenric.  But  what 
of  the  four  galleys  of  Colonsay  ?  " 


ALONE    WITH    DEATH  199 

"  They  left  for  the  north  two  days  ago,  and 
the  men  of  Coll  went  some  into  the  castle  and 
some  to  their  homes,  leaving  their  ships  at 
anchor  in  the  shelter  of  the  isle  of  Gunna." 

"  And  say  you  that  those  in  the  castle  know 
not  that  our  lord  is  in  the  dungeon  ? " 

"  Even  so,  for  who  could  tell  them  ?  Five 
days  have  passed  since  our  fight  in  Coll.  Like 
a  beast  of  the  field  have  I  lived  since  then, 
feeding  upon  the  wild  roots  and  berries,  and 
waiting  that  our  ships  might  come  back.  But 
by  good  fortune  I  came  across  the  poor  fisher- 
man who  brought  me  over  in  his  boat.  He 
could  speak  the  Gaelic,  and  with  promise  of 
reward  I  bade  him  bring  me  to  the  place  where 
Earl  Kenric  had  told  me  we  were  to  rejoin  Sir 
Piers  de  Currie.  Had  the  man  refused  me  I 
would  have  slain  him ;  but  now  that  he  has 
kept  his  word,  I  beg  you  to  give  him  the  reward 
that  is  his  due." 

"  That  will  I  do,"  said  Allan,  "for  well  does 
he  deserve  it.  A  good  boat  with  oars  and 
sails  shall  be  his  reward." 

By  the  time  that  Duncan  had  told  his  tale, 
Allan  Redmain's  two  strong  galleys  were 
abreast  of  the  isle  of  Coll,  and  steering  into  a 
beauteous  bay  that  Duncan  had  told  of,  they 
were  rowed  far  in  until  they  stood  under  the 
strong-built  fortress  of  Breacacha.  The  garri- 
son had  been  reinforced  by  many  men  from  the 


2OO  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

ships  of  Coll.  But  the  men  of  Bute  were  des- 
perate, and  they  said  that  though  they  gave 
their  lives,  and  though  they  pulled  down  every 
stone  and  timber  of  which  that  castle  was  built, 
they  would  save  their  young  king.  So  with 
their  friends  of  Arran  they  landed  in  a  great 
body  with  their  machines  and  battering  en- 
gines. Some  attacked  the  raised  drawbridge 
with  great  missile  weapons,  while  their  com- 
panions picked  off  with  their  arrows  the  arch- 
ers who  were  on  the  battlements. 

After  a  two-hours'  storming  of  the  gates  the 
men  of  Bute  forced  an  entrance  and  rushed 
within  the  castle,  led  by  Allan  Redmain.  The 
defenders  took  timely  refuge  in  the  donjon 
keep.  But  Allan  sought  not  to  follow  them. 
With  lighted  torches  he  led  his  men  into  the 
dark  chambers  that  were  in  the  heart  of  the 
castle,  till  at  last  he  found  a  chamber  whose 
floor  was  stained  with  blood. 

"  Methinks,"  said  he,  "  that  this  should  be 
the  place  wherein  Duncan  slew  his  three  foes 
with  the  Earl  Kenric's  sword ;  "  and  then  he 
called  loudly  upon  Kenric.  Many  times  he 
cried  out,  but  no  answer  came.  Then  he  bade 
one  of  his  men  uncoil  a  rope  that  he  had 
brought,  and  Allan,  fastening  a  lighted  torch 
in  his  helmet,  let  himself  be  lowered  into  the 
dungeon  whose  mouth  gaped  in  the  centre  of 
the  floor. 


ALONE    WITH    DEATH  2OI 

Deep  down  he  went  until  his  feet  touched 
solid  ground  and  he  found  himself  in  a  large 
cavernous  chamber.  It  was  a  dismal  place. 
The  rocky  walls  were  damp  and  mouldy ;  the 
floor  was  of  hewn  stone.  There  was  an  odour 
as  of  death  in  the  heavy  air. 

Holding  his  torch  aloft  he  peered  into  the 
recesses  of  the  dungeon.  At  last  his  eye  rested 
upon  what  looked  like  a  human  form.  He 
started  back  in  horror  as  the  light  fell  fuller 
upon  it.  Against  the  wall,  crouched  down 
with  his  head  between  his  knees,  and  a  few 
rags  of  mouldy  plaid  about  his  shoulders,  was 
the  grim  skeleton  of  what  had  once  been  a  liv- 
ing man.  Allan  drew  back  the  tattered  plaid 
and  saw  the  bare  ribs  and  fleshless  arms.  And 
could  it  be  that  the  young  hope  of  Bute,  Ken- 
ric  the  good,  the  brave,  the  true,  had  come  to 
this? 

Allan  bent  down.  He  was  about  to  touch 
the  ghastly  thing.  Then  the  awful  silence  of 
that  black  tomb  was  broken  by  the  sound  of  a 
low  moan.  Allan  listened  again,  but  he  heard 
only  the  drip,  drip  of  water.  Then  again  came 
the  moaning  sound.  He  turned  round  and 
bounded  forward.  By  the  light  of  his  torch, 
that  pierced  the  darkness,  he  saw  a  pale  wan 
face,  with  hollow  cheeks  and  round,  staring, 
brown  eyes.  The  lips  moved. 


202  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

"Allan?  Allan?'*  they  faintly  said.  And 
then  Kenric  raised  himself  on  his  elbow. 

"  The  great  God  be  thanked !  "  gasped  Allan, 
and  he  fell  upon  his  knees  at  Kenric's  side. 

Kenric  spoke  not  again :  he  was  faint  and 
sore  of  limb.  Allan  took  off  his  plaid  and 
spread  it  upon  the  damp,  rocky  floor.  Then 
he  raised  Kenric  in  his  arms,  and  wrapping 
him  in  the  plaid  carried  him  to  the  bottom  of 
the  shaft  where  hung  the  rope.  Making  a 
sling  of  his  plaid  and  securing  it  to  the  rope 
he  called  to  his  men  to  draw  up  the  line,  and 
in  a  few  minutes  Earl  Kenric  lay  in  the  upper 
chamber  breathing  the  fresher  air. 

Not  long  was  Allan  Redmain  in  following, 
and  in  the  space  of  another  hour  they  had  car- 
ried Kenric  on  board  the  Kraken  of  Bute.  For 
six  long  days  and  nights  no  food  had  passed 
his  lips,  and  had  it  not  been  that  his  frame  was 
of  uncommon  strength  he  must  have  died  in 
that  noisome  cell.  For  many  days  afterwards 
his  mind  wandered,  his  eyes  stared  blankly,  his 
voice  failed  him,  and  not  until  two  weeks  after 
his  rescue,  when  he  was  back  again  in  the  cas- 
tle of  Rothesay,  did  he  recognize  any  one. 

Allan  Redmain 's  two  galleys  were  but  a  few 
miles  outward  from  the  coast  of  Coll  when  they 
fell  in  with  the  four  galleys  of  Bute  that  Ken- 
ric and  Duncan  had  left.  They  had  been  pur- 
sued about  the  seas  by  the  ships  of  Sweyn  of 


HOW    KENRIC    MADE    HIMSELF    STRONG       20$ 

Colonsay,  but  having  outdistanced  him  they 
were  now  returning  to  the  island  to  search  for 
their  lost  leader.  Either  alive  or  dead,  he  must, 
they  said,  be  found.  Had  it  not  been  for  Dun- 
can Graham,  who  alone,  of  all  men,  knew  where 
Kenric  was  imprisoned,  all  search  for  him  must 
have  been  fruitless.  On  some  day  long  after 
he  might  have  been  discovered,  as  Allan  had 
found  the  starved  and  forgotten  prisoner  in 
that  dungeon,  a  grim  and  unrecognizable  skele- 
ton. 


CHAPTER   XXI 

HOW    KENRIC    MADE    HIMSELF    STRONG 

HP  HIS  expedition  against  the  island  kings  had 
1  been  attended  with  small  enough  success. 
Many  of  the  islands  had  indeed  been  invaded 
and  some  of  the  smaller  ones  conquered. 
Several  of  the  kings,  wavering  between  service 
of  two  masters,  had  quietly  yielded  to  the 
persuasions  of  King  Alexander's  ambassadors. 
But  it  must  be  said  that,  despite  their  seeming 
compliance,  they  were  ready  to  turn  the  other 
way  again  with  equal  ease,  or  even  to  evade 
their  duties  to  either  monarch  and  assume  the 
dignity  of  independent  rulers.  In  a  political 


2O4  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

sense  the  result  of  the  expedition  was  a  failure, 
the  conquests  being  incomplete,  and  the  com- 
pliance of  the  less  warlike  kings  being  of  the 
very  shortest  duration. 

The  misfortunes  that  had  attended  Kenric  of 
Bute  and  Sir  Piers  de  Currie  were  due  almost 
entirely  to  the  bad  work  of  the  wild  men  of 
Galloway,  whose  lust  for  slaughter  and  pillage, 
whose  wanton  plunderings  of  churches  and  slay- 
ing of  women  and  children  brought  down  upon 
the  Scots  the  hatred  of  the  Norsemen  in  whose 
lands  these  depredations  had  been  made. 

It  was  not  long  ere  the  word  had  travelled 
far  and  wide  among  the  Western  Isles  that  the 
barbarities  committed  by  the  Gallwegians  were 
the  work  of  young  Kenric  of  Bute.  It  wras  said 
that  Kenric  of  Bute  alone  had  ordered  the 
massacre  of  the  children  of  Colonsay.  It  was 
said  that  he  had  wantonly  ordered  similar 
atrocities  in  Jura,  in  Barra,  and  indeed  in  all 
those  isles  which  the  unruly  men  of  Galloway 
had  invaded.  Upon  Kenric  and  his  people, 
therefore,  the  sons  of  the  vikings  swore  deadly 
vengeance,  calling  upon  their  patron  saint  to 
aid  them. 

The  Norsemen  of  the  Western  Isles  lost 
little  time  in  sending  messengers  to  Norway, 
telling  how  the  King  of  Scots  had  attempted  to 
force  their  allegiance  to  his  crown. 

Hakon,  the  Norwegian  king,  was  roused  to 


HOW    KENRIC    MADE    HIMSELF    STRONG       205 

anger.  He  determined  to  revenge  the  injuries 
offered  to  his  vassals,  and  at  once  issued  orders 
for  the  assembling  of  a  vast  fleet  and  army, 
whilst  he  repaired  in  person  to  his  great  seaport 
of  Bergen  to  make  ready  for  an  expedition 
which  should  not  only  restore  his  vassals  to 
their  lands  and  rights,  but  which  should  also 
sweep  away  every  kilted  Scot  from  the  isles, 
and  convert  the  great  kingdom  of  Scotland 
itself  into  a  dependency  of  Norway. 

These  great  preparations  for  war  commenced 
in  the  autumn  of  1262.  It  was  not  until  eight 
months  afterwards  that  they  were  completed. 

When  Allan  Redmain,  with  Earl  Kenric  and 
Duncan  Graham  lying  ill  in  his  cabin,  rejoined 
the  combined  forces  of  Sir  Piers  de  Currie  and 
the  Earl  of  Ross,  he  found  these  two  chiefs  on 
the  point  of  separating.  The  Earl  of  Ross  left 
the  sound  of  lona  and  sailed  northward  again, 
while  Sir  Piers,  with  the  eight  galleys  of  Bute 
and  Arran,  bent  his  course  south  to  Colonsay, 
there  to  pick  up  the  vessel  that  Kenric  had  left 
in  guard  over  that  island.  These  nine  vessels 
thereupon  returned  to  the  Clyde,  and  Sir  Piers 
made  a  journey  into  Scotland  to  make  his  re- 
port to  the  King. 

For  many  weary  weeks  Kenric  remained  a 
helpless  invalid  in  his  castle,  tended  by  his 
gentle  mother  and  by  old  Janet  the  nurse.  His 
wounds  were  of  small  account ;  but  the  six  days 


2O6  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

spent  in  the  noisome  dungeon  of  Breacacha  had 
weakened  him  and  given  him  a  fever,  which 
was  slow  to  leave  him.  His  mind  was  strangely 
disturbed,  and  he  talked  wildly,  and  at  random, 
fancying  he  was  fighting  against  countless  hosts 
of  pirate  Norsemen,  and  declaring  deliriously 
that  his  Thirsty  Sword  would  give  him  no  rest, 
so  great  was  its  lust  for  blood.  And  once  when 
Ailsa  Redmain  had  come  over  with  Allan  from 
Kilmory,  the  young  king  began  to  laugh  wildly, 
and  to  say  how  he  had  just  been  over  to  Colon- 
say  to  massacre  many  hundreds  of  children,  and 
how  the  good  men  of  Galloway  had  tried  to 
stop  him,  and  that  for  their  interference  he  had 
thrown  them  all  into  dark  dungeons  giving 
each  of  them  a  skeleton  for  a  plaything. 

But  later,  when  his  reason  had  returned,  Ailsa 
came  more  often,  and  the  two  would  sit  for 
hours  together,  talking  of  the  boats  that  could 
be  seen  from  the  window  sailing  on  the  blue 
waters  of  Rothesay  Bay,  of  the  dark  hills  of 
Loch  Striven  beyond,  and  of  the  trees  across 
in  the  forest  of  Toward  that  were  brown  and 
gold  in  the  autumn  sunlight.  Of  all  his  nurses, 
Kenric  loved  best  that  Ailsa  should  thus  come 
to  him,  for  she  was  as  a  very  gentle  and  sweet 
sister,  and  never  did  the  Gaelic  words  sound 
so  musical  as  when  spoken  by  her  rosy  lips ; 
never  did  sunlight  shine  more  brightly  than 
the  light  that  shone  in  her  beautiful  eyes. 


HOW    KENRIC    MADE    HIMSELF    STRONG       2O7 

So  the  weeks  went  on ;  the  autumn  passed 
into  winter,  and  soon  all  the  land  was  white 
with  deep  snow. 

On  a  cold  wintry  day  Allan  Redmain  rode 
over  to  Rothesay  on  his  shaggy  mountain  pony. 

"  My  lord,"  said  he  to  Kenric,  who  was  sitting 
in  the  great  hall  with  the  abbot  Godfrey  Thur- 
stan,  "  I  have  a  strange  thing  to  tell  of  an  ad- 
venture that  befell  me  yestereve." 

"  Come,  then,  to  the  fire,  Allan,"  said  Kenric, 
"  for  on  these  cold  days,  when  one  cannot  get 
out  and  about,  a  story  is  ever  welcome.  What 
says  your  reverence  ? " 

"  Even  so,"  said  the  abbot,  rising ;  "  and  me- 
thinks  the  sound  of  Allan's  young  voice,  what- 
ever his  adventure  be,  will  cheer  you  better  than 
the  croaking  of  an  old  man,  so  I  will  leave  you 
together,  my  sons." 

Then  the  two  lads  sat  side  by  side  before  the 
great  fire  of  pine  logs,  and  each  with  his  arm 
twined  about  the  neck  of  one  of  the  deer-hounds 
that  sat  beside  him. 

"  And  now,  Allan,  what  is  your  adventure  ?  " 

"  Why,  'twas  a  wolf-hunt  we  had,  I  and  some 
of  our  men  of  Kilmory.  The  wolves,  as  you 
know,  have  been  numerous  in  the  island  since 
the  snow  and  frost  came.  We  tracked  a  goodly 
pack  of  them  into  Glen  More,  and,  running  them 
to  a  corrie  in  the  hill  of  Kilbride,  we  there  slew 
three  of  them  with  our  spears.  But  there  was 


2O8  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

one  dog-wolf,  a  great  gray  fellow  that  we  came 
upon  at  the  head  of  the  glen.  He  had  a  patch 
of  white  hair  about  his  neck,  and  by  that  I  knew 
that  it  was  the  same  that  had  so  frightened  the 
widow  Campbell ;  and  being  on  my  pony,  I  gave 
chase.  He  doubled,  and  ran  south,  leading  me 
even  to  Kilmory.  There  I  lost  him.  But  I 
traced  his  steps  in  the  snow,  and  where  think 
you  they  led  me  ?  " 

"  Nay,  how  could  I  know  ?  "  said  Kenric. 

"  Why,  to  the  cottage  door  of  Elspeth  Black- 
fell." 

"  Ah  ? " 

"  There  I  dismounted,  and,  pushing  open  the 
door,  what  should  I  see  but  the  same  wolf  lying 
down  at  his  ease  before  the  fire  that  burned  in 
the  middle  of  the  room !  His  long  tongue  was 
hanging  out,  and  I  could  see  his  great  white 
teeth.  At  his  side  was  the  old  woman's  black 
cat.  At  the  other  side  of  the  fire  sat  Elspeth 
herself,  calmly  eating  of  a  dish  of  brose.  Even 
as  I  stood  there,  the  old  witch  bent  down  and 
laid  the  dish  before  the  wolf  that  he  might 
finish  the  brose.  When  I  leapt  forward  with 
spear  upraised  to  slay  the  wolf,  Elspeth  stepped 
in  between  and  roughly  bade  me  put  away  my 
weapon.  '  For,'  said  she, '  know  you  this,  Allan 
Redmain,  that  he  is  not  as  other  wolves,  and  I 
would  not  have  you  harm  him  by  any  manner 


HOW    KENRIC    MADE    HIMSELF    STRONG      2OQ 

of  means ; '  and  so  I  went  away,  marvelling 
much." 

"  Well,"  said  Kenric,  "  and  what  make  you 
of  this  adventure  ?  " 

"  Why  this :  that  Aasta  the  wolf-maid,  who 
was  wont  to  prowl  about  in  her  wolf's  guise 
only  at  dead  of  night,  has  now  taken  to  her 
fancies  by  day-time  also." 

"  If  this  be  so  indeed,"  said  Kenric  thought- 
fully, never  doubting  that  the  explanation  was 
the  truth  of  the  matter,  "  then  I  would  have 
you  be  very  careful  in  your  adventures,  Allan. 
Spare  that  white-breasted  wolf;  for  we  know 
not  what  strange  ill  would  befall  you  were  you 
to  slay  Aasta  by  mistake.  Say  naught  of  this 
to  any  man.  Duncan  Graham,  who  knows 
more  than  others  of  Aasta  the  Fair,  shall  one 
day  tell  us  what  all  this  mystery  means." 

But  for  the  rest  of  that  winter,  no  more  was 
heard  of  the  wolf-maid's  wanderings,  either  by 
day  or  by  night,  and  when  the  glad  spring- 
time came,  there  was  no  more  thought  of 
wolves. 

In  that  spring-time  Earl  Kenric,  now  well 
able  to  get  about,  busied  himself  upon  his  farm 
lands,  and  did  all  manner  of  hard  and  manly 
toil,  so  that  by  healthy  exercise  of  his  limbs  he 
might  regain  his  strength.  In  the  early  morn- 
ings he  would  sally  out  to  the  fields  of  Ardbeg, 
and  there  with  the  ponderous  plough  of  those 


2IO  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

times,  that  was  drawn  by  twelve  shaggy,  long- 
horned  oxen  —  each  with  a  wreath  of  rowan 
leaves  round  its  neck  as  a  charm  against  the 
spells  of  witchcraft  —  he  would  plough  the 
stubborn  ground  for  many  hours  together 
until  the  sweat  bedewed  his  brow.  And  from 
the  fields  he  would  perhaps  walk  over  tp  Ascog 
to  sit  in  his  seat  of  assize,  and  there,  with 
the  clods  of  earth  yet  upon  his  feet  and  his 
arms  yet  tingling  from  their  work  at  the  heavy 
plough,  he  would  administer  the  simple  laws 
before  his  people.  Also  he  would  often  engage 
with  Duncan  his  henchman  —  now  recovered 
from  his  wounds  —  in  the  exercise  of  arms,  or 
with  Allan  Redmain  sail  over  to  Arran  to 
have  a  day's  hunting  among  the  fells.  Every 
morning  before  he  broke  fast  he  was  wont  to 
undertake  a  curious  exercise,  which  was  that 
he  took  a  young  bull  calf  over  his  shoulders 
and  carried  it  to  the  top  of  the  hill  of  Barone; 
and  each  day  as  the  calf  grew  older,  so  did  its 
weight  increase,  and  the  burden  become  greater 
to  bear.  Thus  did  Kenric  make  himself  strong, 
until,  at  the  end  of  that  summer  of  1263,  there 
was  no  man  in  all  Bute  who  could  excel  him  in 
the  use  of  arms  or  overcome  him  in  feats  of 
bodily  exercise. 

Meanwhile,  unknown  as  yet  to  the  people  of 
Bute,  King  Hakon  of  Norway  had  been  busily 
preparing  his  forces  for  the  projected  invasion 


HOW    KENRIC    MADE    HIMSELF    STRONG        211 

of  Scotland.  The  extent  of  these  preparations 
soon  spread  alarm  even  on  the  coasts  of  Eng- 
land. It  was  said  that  an  overwhelming  fleet 
of  ships  had  bent  their  course  against  the 
Scottish  islands,  and  the  final  destination  of 
so  vast  an  armament  was  conjectured  with 
consternation. 

It  was  on  the  yth  of  July  that  the  fleet  set  sail 
from  Herlover.  King  Hakon  commanded  in 
person.  His  flag-ship  was  of  great  dimensions, 
having  seven-and-twenty  banks  of  oars.  Count- 
less banners,  pennons,  and  gonfalons  flaunted 
in  the  breeze  from  the  masts  and  riggings  of 
his  many  galleys.  The  decks  were  crowded 
with  knights  and  soldiers,  whose  armour  glittered 
in  the  sun.  It  was  the  most  powerful  and 
splendid  armament  that  had  ever  set  out  from 
the  fiords  of  Scandinavia,  and  it  bore  proudly 
away  with  a  light  wind  for  Shetland  and  Ork- 
ney, where  additional  forces  enlisted  under  the 
Norse  banner. 

Bearing  down  among  the  Western  Isles, 
levying  contribution  of  men  and  stores  from 
all  the  chiefs  who  owed  him  tribute,  Hakon 
was  joined  at  the  isle  of  Skye  by  the  forces  of 
Magnus,  king  of  the  island  of  Man.  The  com- 
bined fleet  now  amounted  to  a  hundred  and 
sixty  dragon  ships,  with  over  twenty  thousand 
fighting  men. 

Now,  on  the  ship  of  King  Magnus  of  Man 


212  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

there  was  a  mighty  warrior,  whom  men  called 
Rudri,  and  he  was  the  most  terrible  pirate  that 
ever  roved  upon  the  western  seas,  and  all  men 
feared  him.  There  was  not  a  vie  or  sound  that 
he  had  not  sailed  into,  nor  an  island  upon  which 
he  had  not  drawn  his  sword.  He  was  the  one 
man  in  all  that  host  who  could  best  instruct  the 
Norse  king  concerning  the  invasion.  So,  taking 
many  ships  with  him,  Rudri  went  among  the 
island  earls  and  compelled  them  one  and  all  to 
remember  their  duty,  and  to  follow  under  the 
banner  of  their  Norse  master.  Many  of  those 
who  had  taken  oaths  of  loyalty  before  King 
Alexander's  ambassadors  demurred.  But  the 
power  of  the  King  of  Scots  was  remote,  the 
vengeance  of  piratical  warfare  was  near  at  hand, 
and  the  islanders  submitted,  agreeing  to  pay  fine 
of  so  many  hundred  head  of  cattle  as  punish- 
ment for  their  former  desertion  of  Norway. 
And  so,  like  an  avalanche  that  gathers  added 
weight  as  it  descends,  the  invading  forces  drew 
nearer  and  nearer  to  their  goal. 


THE   TWO    SPIES  213 

CHAPTER  XXII 

THE    TWO    SPIES 

ON  a  certain  morning  in  September,  Aasta 
the  Fair  sat  crouched  at  the  door  of  the 
little  cot  wherein  she  dwelt.  She  was  grinding 
oats  in  a  small  stone  hand-mill.  Old  Elspeth 
sat  within  doors  spinning. 

Presently  Aasta  raised  her  eyes  and  looked 
over  towards  the  little  isle  of  Inch  Marnock, 
where  oi\  the  green  knolls  some  sheep  were 
grazing.  In  the  narrow  channel  that  separates 
Inch  Marnock  from  Bute  she  saw  a  tiny  cor- 
acle with  a  man  on  board.  The  little  boat 
drew  to  the  beach  of  St.  Ninian's  Bay,  where 
the  man  stepped  out  and  began  to  run.  Stag- 
gering in  his  gait,  he  fell ;  then  rose  again  and 
again  fell.  Aasta,  leaving  her  work,  ran  down 
towards  the  man,  and  when  she  got  near  him 
she  saw  that  his  clothes  were  torn,  and  his 
limbs  bleeding  from  many  wounds.  He  was 
lying  on  his  back,  groaning.  She  looked  into 
his  white  face  and  saw  that  it  was  the  face  of 
the  man  whom  Earl  Kenric  had  left  in  Gigha 
as  his  steward  and  governor. 

"  What  means  all  this,  William  MacAlpin  ?  " 
asked  Aasta,  kneeling  by  his  side ;  "  and  where- 


214  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

fore  come  you  back  to  Bute  thus  covered  with 
bleeding  wounds  ? " 

The  man  pointed  westward,  and  with  his 
dying  breath  said : 

"  Run  you  to  Castle  Rothesay,  I  beseech  you ; 
run  and  tell  my  lord  Kenric  that  the  Norse- 
men with  their  hosts  have  landed  on  Gigha, 
and  have  wrested  the  island  from  us.  They 
tried  to  torture  me  to  death,  but  I  escaped  to 
tell  my  master  of  this  calamity  —  " 

Then  Aasta  questioned  him ;  but  her  words 
fell  upon  the  ears  of  the  dead ;  so  she  arose. 

The  swift-footed  hart  runs  not  more  swiftly 
than  Aasta  ran  that  day  across  Bute.  She 
found  Kenric  lounging  on  the  little  pier  and 
throwing  pebbles  one  by  one  into  the  green 
water.  Near  him  were  some  fishermen  unload- 
ing their  herring-boat. 

"  My  lord,"  said  she,  scarcely  showing  by  her 
easy  breathing  that  she  had  run  the  distance 
of  four  miles  — "  my  lord,  I  have  ill  news  to 
tell." 

Kenric  looked  round  at  the  tall  fair  maiden. 
She  was  radiant  with  the  beauty  of  strength. 
Her  long  red  hair  streamed  in  the  breeze,  and 
her  rosy  cheeks  glowed  with  the  healthy  blood 
that  coursed  under  her  smooth  clear  skin.  Her 
eyes  were  limpid  as  the  summer  sky. 

"What  news  may  that  be,  Aasta?"  asked 
the  young  king. 


THE   TWO    SPIES  2 15 

"  It  is,"  said  she,  "  that  your  isle  of  Gigha 
has  been  invaded  and  conquered  by  the  Norse- 
men, and  that  your  kinsman  William  Mac- 
Alpin  has  but  now  given  up  his  life  in  telling 
me  the  tale." 

Kenric  stood  in  troubled  thought,  a  cloud 
upon  his  brow. 

"  Where  is  Lulach  ? "  he  presently  asked. 

"  Over  at  Inch  Marnock,"  she  said,  "  and  ill 
with  his  foot  that  he  hurt  in  climbing  the  rocks 
two  days  since.  He  cannot  walk  but  with  pain, 
or  I  might  have  sent  him  to  you." 

"  That  ^  is  most  unfortunate,"  said  Kenric, 
"  for  saving  Lulach  and  myself  there  is  none  in 
the  island  who  can  speak  the  Norse  tongue. 
I  would  have  sent  him  to  Gigha  to  learn  the 
truth  of  this  you  tell,  and  to  discover  if  there  be 
further  danger." 

"  You  forget,  my  lord,  that  it  was  I  who 
taught  Lulach  the  Norse  tongue,"  said  Aasta. 
"And  cannot  I  do  this  mission  as  well  as  he  ? 
Give  me  your  bidding,  my  lord,  and  though  I 
die  in  fulfilling  it,  yet  will  I  deem  my  life  a  small 
sacrifice  if  it  be  that  I  can  serve  you." 

Then  Kenric's  eyes  lighted  up,  and  he  looked 
admiringly  upon  the  fearless  girl. 

"Aasta,"  said  he,  "  I  will  take  your  service, 
and  I  will  even  go  with  you  to  Gigha  this  very 
day.  Meet  me  at  St.  Ninian's  two  hours  be- 
fore sunset.  Have  ready  a  fishing-coracle  with 


2l6  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

some  fish,  and  dress  you  as  a  fisher-maid.  These 
are  my  orders.  Go." 

At  sunset  that  evening  a  little  boat,  paddled 
by  a  stalwart  young  man  in  the  rough  habit  of 
a  fisher,  was  crossing  the  waters  of  Loch  Fyne. 
He  was  singing  a  plaintive  Gaelic  song,  and  a 
fair  maid,  whose  deep  red  hair  was  covered  by 
a  coarse  blue  cloak,  joined  in  the  wild  strain 
with  notes  that  were  as  the  sweet  song  of  the 
night  bird  of  the  far  south.  The  youth  was 
Earl  Kenric  of  Bute;  the  maiden  was  Aasta 
the  Fair. 

Crossing  from  Ardlamont  Point,  they  crept 
up  the  opposite  shores  of  Kintyre  until  they 
came  to  a  wide  bay  upon  whose  banks  lies  the 
little  fishing  village  of  Tarbert.  In  the  grow- 
ing darkness  Kenric  paddled  the  boat  inward 
to  the  extreme  end  of  this  bay.  Had  he  been 
in  less  hurry  he  might  have  reached  the  isle  of 
Gigha  by  taking  a  larger  craft  and  sailing  down 
Kilbrannan  Sound  and  so  round  the  Mull  of 
Kintyre,  by  the  way  he  had  gone  with  the 
galleys.  But  he  now  adopted  a  speedier  way 
and  a  much  safer  one.  The  great  peninsula  of 
Kintyre,  which  at  the  north  joins  to  Knapdale, 
forms  at  Tarbert  a  narrow  isthmus  of  but  a 
mile  broad.  Landing  at  the  head  of  Tarbert 
Bay,  Kenric  bade  Aasta  carry  the  paddles  and 
her  basket  of  fish,  and  himself  taking  up  the 
little  boat  in  his  two  strong  arms  and  raising  it 


THE    TWO    SPIES  217 

upon  his  back,  he  thus  crossed  the  mile  of  dry 
land.  The  boat  was  but  a  light  one,  built  of 
pine  ribs  and  covered  with  hide,  and  his  task 
was  less  difficult  than  it  might  seem. 

In  half-an-hour's  time  the  two  had  arrived  at 
another  sheet  of  water  which  is  called  Loch 
Tarbert,  and  here  launching  the  coracle  again, 
they  seated  themselves  and  sailed  down  the 
narrow  loch.  It  was  now  well  upon  midnight, 
and  there  was  no  moon;  but  there  was  little 
danger  to  be  feared,  unless,  indeed,  some  of  the 
Norse  outposts  might  surprise  them. 

Kenric  spoke  little,  for,  in  truth,  he  was  yet 
doubtful  t)f  his  companion,  who  might,  he  im- 
agined, at  any  moment  turn  herself  into  the 
form  of  a  wolf.  But  Aasta  was  very  calm,  and 
there  was  small  need  to  doubt  her,  for  Earl 
Kenric  had  done  her  a  great  service  in  setting 
her  free  from  her  thraldom,  and  she  would  have 
given  her  life  for  him  at  any  moment. 

When  at  last  they  emerged  from  the  loch 
where  it  enters  the  open  sea  they  paused  a 
while  by  the  shore  to  eat  their  bread-cakes  and 
drink  the  milk  that  Aasta  had  brought.  They 
sat  face  to  face.  Once  Kenric  thought  he  saw 
the  maid's  eyes  sparkle  with  a  green  flash  of 
light  and  he  drew  back,  though  in  sooth  it  was 
but  the  reflection  of  the  planet  Venus,  shining 
in  the  clear  mirror  of  her  eyes. 

The  gentle  rippling  of  the  water  against  the 


2l8  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

boat  alone  disturbed  the  stillness.  In  that  still- 
ness Kenric  looked  fixedly  at  Aasta  through 
the  dim  light.  Aasta  sank  upon  her  knees, 
and  obeying  an  impulse  that  was  upon  her  she 
took  his  hands  in  her  own  and  touched  them 
with  her  warm  lips. 

Kenric  felt  a  strange  thrill  of  pity  for  this 
beautiful  girl,  so  lonely  was  she,  and  so  much 
despised  of  men,  and  in  that  moment  he  bent 
down  and  kissed  her  head.  And  at  that  the 
maid  began  to  weep,  and  her  hot  tears  fell  upon 
his  hands. 

Neither  spoke,  but  each  felt  that  a  new  bond 
of  sympathy  had  been  formed  between  them. 
Presently  Aasta  rose  to  her  seat,  and  Kenric 
took  his  paddle  and  drove  the  boat  along  into 
the  deeper  water. 

Down  the  west  coast  of  Kintyre  they  sailed 
until,  out  across  the  sea,  they  saw  the  light  of 
a  beacon  fire  shoot  up  upon  the  heights  of 
Gigha.  Outward  then  they  steered  until  they 
came  nigh  upon  the  rocky  shores  of  that  island ; 
and  passing  many  little  islets,  they  sailed  be- 
tween Gigha  and  the  brownie-haunted  island  of 
Cara,  just  as  the  day  was  breaking  in  the  east. 

Here  Aasta  looked  about  her  with  strange 
bewilderment  as  though  she  were  awaking  from 
a  dream.  Kenric  brought  the  boat  inshore  and 
took  it  through  the  long  rock  tunnel  that  he 
had  seen  many  months  before  from  the  deck  of 


THE   TWO    SPIES  2IQ 

his  galley.  The  water  was  calm  now  and 
the  tide  high.  Aasta  looked  down  into  the 
clear  depths  where  the  long  tangle  of  marine 
plants  swayed  with  the  motion  of  the  light 
current.  Upon  the  rocky  bed  below  she  saw 
many  ruby-coloured  sea  anemones,  with  em- 
erald mosses,  and  pearly  shells,  and  silver- 
scaled  fish.  From  the  water  she  looked  to 
the  vaulted  roof.  Her  eyes  were  restless  with 
strange  wonderment. 

"  My  lord,"  she  said  at  last,  "  what  place  is 
this  that  you  have  brought  me  to  ?  And  why 
seem  these  rocks  so  familiar  to  mine  eyes  ? 
This  cleSr  green  water  —  the  lofty  vault  of  this 
cave,  where  the  voice  echoes  in  merry  laugh- 
ter !  'Tis  passing  strange  !  Methinks  I  must 
have  seen  them  in  some  childish  dream ! " 

But  Kenric  at  that  moment  felt  the  boat 
grinding  upon  a  sunken  rock,  and  Aasta's  ques- 
tion passed  his  notice. 

Beyond  the  tunnel  they  searched  for  a  safe 
landing-place  in  one  of  the  little  bays.  Aasta 
pointed  to  a  high  cliff  that  had  many  caverns 
hollowed  out  in  its  steep  front,  and  she  bade 
him  steer  into  one  of  those  caves.  Kenric 
laughed  and  asked  how  she  thought  they  could 
ever  arrive  upon  the  heights  by  that  way.  But 
when  she  suddenly  put  her  finger  to  her  lips, 
in  token  that  she  had  heard  voices  upon  the 
cliff,  Kenric  obeyed  her  and  took  the  boat  into 


220  THE   THIRSTY   SWORD 

the    yawning  cavern.       When    they  were   far 
within  Aasta  said : 

"  Heard  you  not  voices  up  above  us,  my  lord 
—  the  voices  of  many  men  ? " 

"  Even  so,"  said  Kenric.  "  But  methinks  it 
will  go  ill  with  us  here  if  we  be  discovered  by 
some  passing  boat.  We  should  then  be  en- 
trapped." 

"  Not  so,"  said  she.  "  Follow  me  and  you 
shall  see  that  we  have  chosen  a  better  point  of 
landing  than  you  could  have  hoped  for."  And1 
stepping  upon  the  rocks  at  the  far  end  of  the 
cave  she  led  him  up  a  flight  of  rocky  steps 
until  suddenly  they  saw  the  light  of  day.  At 
once  they  emerged  into  a  wide  ravine  that  clove 
the  cliffs  and  led  upward  to  the  grassy  heights 
of  the  island.  Then  Aasta  drew  back  and  held 
Kenric  so  that  he  might  go  no  farther,  and  she 
pointed  across  the  ravine  where  a  dip  in  the 
opposite  headland  revealed  a  wide  and  shel- 
tered bay. 

"  Look,  my  lord,"  she  whispered. 

Kenric  saw  an  unexpected  sight,  for  in  the 
waters  of  that  bay  there  lay  at  anchor  a  hun- 
dred and  fifty  ships  of  war  with  the  falcon  flag 
of  King  Hakon  flying  at  each  mast-head. 

The  sight  of  so  vast  an  armament  appalled 
him.  How  it  happened  that  these  foreign  ships 
were  riding  at  anchor  off  his  own  island  was  a 
thing  that  passed  his  comprehension. 


THE   TWO    SPIES  221 

Aasta  was  the  first  to  break  the  silence  of 
wonderment. 

"  My  lord,"  said  she,  "  there  is  more  in  this 
than  the  dying  words  of  your  kinsman  William 
foretold.  And  right  wise  were  you  to  bid  me 
put  on  this  fisher-maid's  disguise.  Give  me 
your  dirk,  Earl  Kenric,  lest  I  meet  misfortune, 
and  I  will  take  my  creel  of  fish  and  offer  it  for 
sale  among  the  people.  It  may  be  that  in 
speaking  with  the  islanders  I  shall  hear  that 
which  the  mere  sight  of  these  ships  cannot 
explain." 

Then  JKenric  returned  to  the  boat,  bringing 
back  the  basket  of  fish  which  he  gave  to  Aasta 
together  with  his  dirk. 

"  You  will  trust  me,  my  lord  ?  "  she  asked. 

Kenric  smiled.  "  To  the  end,"  said  he. 
"  But  what  is  your  plan,  Aasta  ? " 

"  That  you  remain  with  the  boat,  my  lord, 
while  I  journey  to  the  village,  wherever  it  may 
be  found.  Not  long  shall  I  be,  and  I  beg  you 
not  to  leave  the  cave  till  I  return." 

Taking  the  fish  creel  over  her  back  she  went 
away.  Passing  up  the  ravine  and  mounting  to 
the  heights,  she  had  not  gone  far  when  she  saw 
a  party  of  warriors  sitting  round  a  camp  fire. 
She  went  boldly  towards  them. 

"  So  please  you,  my  masters,"  she  began  in 
the  Norse  tongue,  "  I  have  brought  you  some 


222  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

good  fresh  fish  if  so  be  you  would  buy  them 
from  a  poor  body." 

"Show  us  your  fish,  girl,"  said  one  of  the 
men,  rising.  Then  looking  into  the  basket  he 
added,  "  What  want  you  for  them  ?  " 

"  Four  cakes  of  bread,"  said  she. 

"  Good,"  said  the  warrior.  "  Let  us  have 
them ;  for  with  so  many  mouths  to  fill  all  food 
is  welcome." 

Slowly  Aasta  took  out  the  fish  and  laid  them 
on  the  grass.  Yet  no  man  spoke.  She  touched 
the  nearest  man  on  the  elbow. 

"  Lend  me  your  knife,  my  master,  that  I  may 
gut  the  fish,"  said  she  boldly. 

The  man  took  out  his  knife,  and  as  he  handed 
it  to  her  she  saw  his  face  and  recognized  Earl 
Sweyn  of  Colonsay. 

One  by  one  she  took  up  the  fish  and  slowly 
trimmed  them  on  a  flat  stone,  waiting  in  the 
hope  of  hearing  the  warriors  speak. 

"  When  holds  King  Hakon  his  council  ?"  one 
presently  asked  of  another. 

"  To-night  —  on  Rudri's  return,"  was  the 
reply. 

"  And  where  ?  " 

"  Why,  here  on  the  heath,  after  sundown," 
said  another.  "  'Tis  no  time  for  delay.  Bute 
and  Arran  have  yet  to  be  conquered  ere  we 
assail  the  mainland  of  Scotland." 

"Ay,  "said  the  first  speaker,  "methinks  there 


THE   TWO    SPIES  223 

will  be  few  Scots  left  in  Bute  for  the  next  moon 
to  smile  upon.  Bairns,  women,  and  men,  they 
all  are  doomed  !  " 

Aasta  now  began  to  work  quicker  —  so 
quickly  that  in  a  very  few  minutes  the  fish 
were  all  ready  for  cooking.  Then  taking  her 
four  bread-cakes  she  slung  the  basket  over  her 
head  and  sauntered  away. 

Suddenly  she  was  conscious  that  some  one 
was  following  her.  Raising  her  wicker  basket 
higher  she  half  turned  her  head.  Through  the 
crevices  of  the  basket  she  saw  a  youth  with 
long  flaxen  hair.  It  was  Harald  of  Islay.  But 
soon  he  turned  back,  thinking  no  doubt  that 
he  had  been  mistaken  in  his  recognition  of  the 
girl  who  had  helped  Allan  Redmain  to  recapt- 
ure him. 

After  an  absence  of  less  than  two  hours 
Aasta  rejoined  Kenric  and  told  him  all  she  had 
heard ;  and  for  the  rest  of  that  day  the  two 
remained  in  hiding,  waiting  until  night  should 
fall. 

At  last  the  dark  night  came.  Kenric  and 
Aasta,  the  one  armed  with  his  great  sword,  the 
other  with  her  dirk,  crept  from  their  place  of 
hiding  and  stole  across  the  heath  towards  the 
camp  fire,  round  which  a  score  of  island  kings 
were  already  gathered,  awaiting  the  coming  of 
King  Hakon  of  Norway. 

Within  a  hundred  yards  of  the  fire  Kenric 


224  THE   THIRSTY    SWORD 

stopped  and  beckoned  Aasta  to  go  round  the 
northern  side,  while  he  went  the  opposite  way. 
This  they  did  that  they  might  discover  by 
which  approach  they  could  best  reach  within 
hearing  distance  of  the  warriors.  And  they 
had  arranged  that  the  one  who  found  a  likely 
place  should  give  signal  to  the  other  by  means 
of  the  lapwing's  cry. 

Aasta  had  not  well  made  the  half  circle 
when  through  the  night  air  she  heard  faintly, 
as  it  were  half  a  mile  away,  the  cry,  "  Pee-wit ! 
pee-weet ! " 

Quickly  she  returned  and  followed  the  way 
Kenric  had  gone.  Soon  she  found  herself 
under  a  high  piece  of  ground  that  obscured 
the  firelight.  Then  nearer  to  the  fire  she 
heard  the  cry  repeated,  and  she  replied  with 
the  same  call.  She  went  towards  the  fire  until 
she  saw  Kenric  standing  on  the  top  of  a  high 
rock,  outlined  against  the  glow  of  light.  She 
knew  him  by  his  fisher's  cloak.  She  saw  him 
lie  down  flat  and  creep  nearer  and  nearer  to 
the  edge  of  the  rock. 

Suddenly,  between  her  and  Kenric,  she  saw 
another  figure  appear  and  stealthily  follow  be- 
hind the  young  king  with  drawn  sword. 

Now  Aasta  had  the  faculty  of  being  able  to 
see  in  the  darkness  almost  as  well  as  in  the 
daylight,  and  it  took  but  a  hurried  glance  to 


THE    TWO    SPIES  225 

prove  that  he  who  followed  Earl  Kenric  was 
none  other  than  the  fair-haired  Harald. 

Like  the  bird  whose  cry  she  had  but  lately 
imitated  she  ran  along  the  ground,  drawing 
her  dirk  as  she  ran,  and  just  at  the  moment 
when  Harald  of  Islay  was  preparing  to  smite 
Kenric  a  blov,  that  would  have  killed  him, 
Aasta  threw  her  hand  over  the  young  viking's 
mouth,  dragged  him  over,  and  then  plunged 
her  dagger  into  his  heart. 

So  quickly  did  this  happen  that  Kenric, 
intent  upon  seeing  what  was  passing  around 
the  fire,  was  quite  unconscious  that  Aasta  had 
saved  his*  life.  And  Aasta  never  afterwards 
told  a  living  being  of  the  thing  that  she  had 
done. 

Leaving  the  body  of  Harald  where  it  had 
fallen  she  followed  Kenric  yet  nearer  to  the 
brink  of  the  rock,  until  together  they  lay  so 
near  to  the  band  of  Norsemen  that  they  could 
see  their  white  teeth  glisten  in  the  firelight  as 
they  spoke.  The  fire  was  built  against  the 
rock.  The  warriors  sat  about  it  in  a  half  cir- 
cle. 

Presently  the  men  all  rose  to  their  feet  to 
greet  the  arrival  of  the  Norwegian  monarch. 
Kenric  could  now  see  faces  that  had  been  hid- 
den before,  and  amongst  them  were  those  of 
Sweyn  of  Colonsay,  Erland  of  Jura,  and,  to 
his  surprise,  even  the  renegade  John  of  Islay. 


226  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

None  of  the  others  did  he  know;  but  there 
were  Magnus  king  of  Man,  Sigurd  king  of 
Lewis,  John  of  Kintyre,  and  Henry  the  bishop 
of  Orkney,  with  many  more  of  the  most  trusted 
of  King  Hakon's  vassals. 

Then  came  King  Hakon  himself  —  the  tall, 
grim-visaged,  despotic  old  monarch  of  the 
North,  who,  having  reigned  for  six-and-forty 
years,  had  now  determined  to  win  for  himself 
and  his  descendants  the  complete  dominion 
over  Scotland. 

"And  now,  oh,  noble  lords  and  faithful 
friends,"  said  he  when  they  were  all  seated, 
"  now  that  we  are  assured  of  the  adherence  of 
all  these  outer  isles  of  Scotland,  it  remains  for 
us  to  arrange  by  what  means  our  further  con- 
quests are  to  be  made.  Our  right  trusty  and 
noble  Rudri  is  yet  away.  But  on  his  great 
help  we  may  confidently  rely  in  whatsoever 
course  we  pursue.  This  alone  does  he  ask, 
that  the  invasion  of  the  isle  of  Bute  shall  be 
left  entirely  in  his  hands.  We  do  therefore 
order  that  Rudri,  with  five  stout  ships,  shall 
sail  hence  in  two  days'  time  and  invade  that 
island.  Thence,  with  my  lord  Magnus  of  Man, 
he  shall  sail  up  the  Clyde  and  lay  waste  what- 
ever lands  or  castles  may  come  in  his  path. 
Meanwhile  Earl  Margad  shall  invade  Arran 
with  five  other  ships.  As  to  the  rest,  we  shall 
remain  in  this  isle  of  Gigha  and  complete  our 


"AASTA  PLUNGED  HER  DAGGER  INTO  HIS  HEART." 


THE    TWO    SPIES  227 

preparations  for  the  final  conquest  of  the  main- 
land of  Scotland.  Say,  now,  my  noble  lords, 
does  our  plan  meet  with  your  favour  ?  " 

"  It  does,  your  Majesty ! "  they  all  replied. 

Then  Earl  Sweyn  the  Silent  opened  his  lips 
and  spoke. 

"  Methinks,"  said  he,  "  that  as  to  the  expe- 
dition against  Bute,  those  who  have  most  suf- 
fered by  the  atrocities  committed  by  the  young 
stripling  lord  of  that  isle  should  have  the 
power  to  fulfil  their  own  vengeance  upon  him. 
And  I  for  one,  your  Majesty,  will  not  rest  con- 
tent unless.  I  be  of  those  who  are  to  invade  his 
lands.  With  his  own  hand  young  Kenric  of 
Bute  slew  a  full  score  of  the  children  of  Colon- 
say,  and  in  just  revenge  would  I  massacre  with 
my  own  hands  the  children  of  Bute.  No  child 
shall  escape  our  swords.  We  will  slay  every 
one,  ay,  even  to  the  babe  at  the  breast.  We 
will  raze  every  dwelling  to  the  ground.  And 
even  their  churches  and  their  holy  men  shall 
not  escape ! " 

On  hearing  these  words  Kenric  waited  not 
to  learn  more.  He  already  knew  enough,  and 
his  heart  beat  furiously  in  dread  alarm.  For  a 
moment  he  felt  impelled  to  take  his  sword  and 
strike  down  the  man  who  had  last  spoken  ;  but 
the  danger  of  revealing  himself  to  those  war- 
riors was  too  great,  and  touching  Aasta  on  the 
arm  he  drew  her  away. 


228  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

Together  they  crept  back  to  the  ravine, 
found  their  difficult  way  into  the  cave,  and  re- 
gaining their  boat  returned  to  Bute  by  the 
same  way  that  they  had  left  it. 

At  daybreak  on  the  following  morning  the 
fiery  cross  —  the  Highlanders'  summons  to 
arms  —  was  sent  round  to  every  dwelling  in 
Bute.  Allan  Redmain  was  despatched  to 
Arran  to  warn  Sir  Piers  de  Currie.  Other 
boatmen  were  sent  on  a  like  errand  to  Toward, 
Dunoon,  Largs,  and  all  other  villages  and 
castles  upon  the  banks  of  the  Clyde,  while  a 
special  messenger  was  sent  into  Scotland  to 
warn  King  Alexander.  For  three  days  and 
nights  there  was  not  a  man  in  Bute  who  was 
not  occupied  in  some  fashion  in  preparing  to 
meet  the  expected  enemy. 


CHAPTER   XXIII 

THE    INVASION    OF    BUTE 

THE  awful  words  that  he  had  heard  spoken 
by  Earl  Sweyn  of  Colonsay  impressed 
Kenric  with  a  terrible  fear,  and  his  knowledge 
of  the  overwhelming  force  of  ships  and  men  at 
the  command  of  the  Norse  king  assured  him 
that  the  threatened  invasion  of  Bute  was  no 


THE    INVASION    OF    BUTE  22Q 

idle  boast.  Not  for  his  own  castle  of  Rothesay 
did  he  fear,  although  he  would  defend  his  for- 
tress to  the  end.  The  thought  of  the  terrible 
vengeance  that  was  about  to  fall  upon  Bute  on 
account  of  the  bad  work  of  the  wild  Scots  of 
Galloway  was  a  matter  for  far  graver  consider- 
ation. 

On  his  return  from  Gigha  he  passed  many 
hours  pacing  the  great  hall  of  his  castle,  rack- 
ing his  brain  to  discover  a  means  whereby  he 
might  protect  the  lives  of  the  women  and  chil- 
dren who  were  under  his  care.  He  remem- 
bered how,  on  the  day  of  his  throning,  those 
children  had  stood  at  the  verge  of  the  court 
to  receive  his  blessing  and  to  kiss  his  hand, 
and  his  heart  bled  at  the  thought  that  any  of 
these  little  ones  should  be  in  danger. 

At  last,  after  much  hard  thinking,  he  put  on 
his  sword  and  ordered  his  pony  to  be  bridled. 
Then  he  rode  south  to  the  abbey  of  St.  Blane's. 
Calling  to  the  good  abbot  he  bade  him  open 
the  chapel  and  let  him  enter.  There  the 
young  king  threw  himself  down  before  the 
altar  and  fervently  prayed  to  God  for  help  in 
his  hour  of  need,  asking  for  the  power  to  save 
the  children  from  the  wrath  of  their  enemies. 
And  in  the  quiet  of  that  holy  place  God's 
spirit  entered  into  his  heart  and  he  felt  strong. 
So  when  he  had  finished  his  prayers  the  abbot, 
hearing  him,  said : 


230  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

"  My  son,  have  faith,  and  our  Father  will 
give  you  His  help.  And  now,  tell  me,  I  be- 
seech you,  what  means  you  foresee  of  saving 
our  people  from  the  swords  of  our  enemies  ? " 

And  Kenric  said : 

"  Holy  father,  it  is  by  your  help  that  I  hope 
to  do  this  thing.  This  day  will  I  send  into 
your  grange  all  the  meal  and  flour  that  now  lie 
in  my  granaries  at  Rothesay,  and  you  shall 
store  it  away  in  secret  places.  Ere  the  sun 
sets  this  night  every  woman  and  bairn  now 
alive  in  Bute  shall  be  brought  to  the  abbey, 
and  they  shall  live  here,  guarded  by  a  band  of 
our  best  men-at-arms." 

"  But,  my  son,"  objected  the  abbot,  "  is  not 
your  own  castle  a  far  stronger  and  safer  ref- 
uge?" 

"  It  may  well  be  that  it  is  stronger,  my 
father,"  said  Kenric ;  "  but  since  it  is  the  first 
place  that  our  enemies  will  make  for,  'tis  not 
more  safe  than  the  abbey,  which  would  be  the 
last  place  that  Christian  men  would  attack." 

"You  speak  wisely  there,"  said  the  father; 
"  but  still  do  I  doubt  your  wisdom  in  seeking 
to  gather  so  many  women  and  children  together 
in  one  defenceless  place.  How  will  it  be  if  our 
enemies  forget  the  sanctity  of  this  refuge,  and 
discovering  our  children  assail  them  all  in  the 
mass  ?  Better  it  were,  methinks,  to  let  each 
family  remain  in  their  own  home,  for  thus  dis- 


THE    INVASION    OF    BUTE  23! 

tributed  over  the  island  some,  if  not  all,  must 
surely  escape." 

"  Father,"  said  Kenric,  "  it  is  not  without 
reason  that  I  propose  this  course,  and  the  two 
years  that  I  passed  under  the  care  of  the  holy 
brethren  of  the  abbey  gave  me  some  teaching 
of  a  practical  sort.  Wist  you  not  that  under 
this  very  chapel  there  is  a  strong,  large 
chamber?  And  wist  you  not  also  that  con- 
nected with  that  chamber  there  is  a  long  vault 
running  a  full  four  furlongs  underground,  even 
unto  the  inclosed  space  that  the  men  of  Bute 
name  the  Circle  of  Penance  ?  " 

"  Even  so,  my  lord,"  said  the  abbot ;  "  and 
now  do  I  well  understand  your  plan.  It  is  in 
that  underground  passage  that  you  would  have 
our  helpless  people  take  refuge.  Send  me, 
then,  a  score  of  your  men  to  make  timely  prep- 
aration and  I  will  gladly  receive  the  inno- 
cents into  my  care.  God  grant  that  we  may 
be  able  to  protect  them,  even  at  the  cost  of  our 
own  lives." 

"  Amen,"  said  Kenric,  and  then  he  rode 
away. 

Taking  the  green  road  that  led  westward,  he 
stopped  at  every  farmstead  and  cottage  by  the 
way  and  there  bade  all  the  women,  from  the 
aged  crone  to  the  young  damsel,  repair  to 
the  abbey  of  St.  Blane's,  taking  with  them  all 
their  children. 


232  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

Soon  he  reached  Kilmory  Castle,  where  he 
had  counsel  with  Sir  Oscar  and  Allan  Red- 
main  concerning  the  protection  of  their  for- 
tress. It  was  probable  that  the  enemy  would 
land  upon  the  western  side  of  the  island,  but 
lest  they  should  determine  to  make  their  first 
attack  upon  Rothesay  it  was  deemed  wise  that 
Sir  Oscar  and  Kenric  should  each  defend  his 
own  castle,  and  that  he  who  first  descried  the 
invaders  from  afar  should  send  word  of  their 
approach  to  his  neighbour.  Being  assured 
that  Kilmory  was  well  guarded,  and  prepared 
to  offer  a  strong  resistance,  Kenric  asked  to 
see  Ailsa  Redmain.  Ailsa  was  in  the  fields. 

"  Ailsa,"  said  he  when  he  had  found  her, 
"  you  have  heard  of  the  great  danger  that 
threatens  our  island  ?  " 

"  Who  is  there  in  all  Bute  that  hath  not 
already  heard  it,  my  lord  ?  "  said  she.  "  Ah, 
would  that  I  were  a  man  that  I  might  be  of 
some  service  at  this  time !  " 

"  It  needs  not  that  you  should  be  a  man, 
Ailsa,  to  be  of  very  great  service,  and  I  will 
ask  your  help.  You  are  no  longer  a  child, 
and  well  do  I  know  what  wisdom  there  is  in 
you.  I  would  trust  you  in  all  things  to  act 
wisely." 

Then  dismounting  and  standing  at  her  side 
he  told  her  how  the  women  and  children  were 
to  be  taken  to  St.  Blane's. 


THE    INVASION    OF    BUTE  233 

"  The  Norsemen  may  arrive,"  he  said,  "  even 
before  another  day  be  gone,  and  passing  up 
Kilbrannan  Sound  they  will  doubtless  make 
landing  near  your  father's  castle,  where  it  were 
most  unwise  in  you  to  remain.  Go,  therefore, 
to  the  abbey  and  make  what  womanly  prepara- 
tions may  be  needful.  There  will  my  mother 
join  you.  With  her  and  you  do  I  intrust  the 
children  of  Bute,  so  that  you  may  minister  to 
their  comforts  until  the  danger  be  past.  You 
shall  not  lack  help,  but  'tis  well  that  there  be 
some  womanly  authority  whose  word  may  be 
held  as  law  in  case  of  need.  And  now,  Ailsa, 
since  it  may  be  that  we  shall  never  meet  again 
in  this  world,  fare  you  well !  " 

Then  as  he  was  about  to  remount  he  saw 
the  tears  gather  in  the  girl's  eyes,  and  he 
put  his  arms  about  her  neck  and  drew  her 
to  him. 

"  Ailsa,"  he  murmured,  "  never  till  this  mo- 
ment did  I  know  how  dear  you  are  to  me ! 
But  now  when  death  faces  me  —  when  another 
day  may  see  me  slain  —  the  thought  of  you, 
my  playmate,  my  dear  friend,  my  loved  Ailsa, 
makes  life  on  earth  more  precious.  God 
watch  between  us  in  our  danger.  The  holy 
Mother  protect  you,  and  on  earth  or  in 
Heaven  grant  that  we  may  meet  again  ! " 

Then  holding  her  near  him  he  touched  her 
white  brow  with  his  lips  and  left  her  sadly. 


234  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

Passing  across  the  meadows  of  Kilmory  he 
found  Lulach  the  herd-boy.  Lulach  was  in 
great  terror  at  knowing  that  the  Norsemen 
were  expected,  for  though  he  was  himself  by 
blood  and  nature  a  Norseman,  and  was  wont  to 
speak  their  tongue  rather  than  the  Gaelic,  yet  he 
looked  upon  the  Scots  as  his  friends  and  upon 
every  Norseman  as  his  enemy.  He  was  not 
trained  in  the  use  of  warlike  weapons,  and  it 
seemed  to  Kenric  that  he  would  be  of  little 
use.  But  Kenric  stationed  him  upon  the 
heights  and  bade  him  keep  constant  watch 
upon  the  sea,  ready  to  sound  the  alarm  on  the 
enemy's  approach. 

Night  and  day  did  the  lad  stand  upon  those 
heights  overlooking  Kilbrannan  Sound,  and  on 
the  third  day  he  saw  appearing  a  squadron  of 
six  ships  with  many  gay  flags  flying  and  the 
armour  of  countless  warriors  glinting  in  the 
sunlight.  The  largest  of  the  galleys  sailed  in 
advance,  bearing  the  viking's  flag,  and  having 
an  array  of  knights  and  soldiers  upon  her  decks 
and  many  archers  at  her  prow. 

Lulach  ran  in  terror  to  Kilmory  Castle,  and 
straightway  Sir  Oscar  Redmain  prepared  to 
meet  the  coming  foe. 

Lulach  was  then  to  have  hastened  to  St. 
Blane's;  but  he  thought  he  had  yet  time  to 
run  down  and  warn  old  Elspeth  Blackfell,  who 
had  steadfastly  refused  to  take  the  protection 


THE    INVASION    OF    BUTE  235 

offered  her  in  the  chapel  vaults,  saying  that 
she  had  a  safe  refuge  of  her  own  —  though 
where  that  refuge  was  none  sought  to  know. 
Lulach  followed  her  down  to  the  little  point 
of  land  that  juts  out  into  St.  Ninian's  Bay. 

Now  it  chanced  that  it  was  in  that  same  bay 
that  the  invaders  landed,  and  before  Lulach 
could  escape,  the  first  ship  was  close  upon  the 
shore. 

The  first  man  to  spring  into  the  water  and 
wade  to  land  was  the  great  pirate  Rudri.  See- 
ing Elspeth  standing  near,  leaning  upon  her 
long  staff,  he  accosted  her. 

"  What,  ho !  thou  witch  of  Satan  !  "  he  cried 
in  thundering  voice.  "  Speak,  crone,  your  life 
is  yours  if  you  but  tell  me  truly,  by  your  sooth, 
the  thing  that  I  shall  ask." 

"  Thou  godless  man,  stand  back !  "  cried 
Elspeth,  seeing  him  draw  his  sword  as  though 
to  slay  her. 

"  Nay,  tell  me  of  your  sooth  —  for  I  do  be- 
lieve you  are  a  very  witch  —  tell  me,  what  shall 
the  issue  of  this  invasion  be  ?  Speak,  thou 
vile  hag !  lest  I  release  your  black  soul  over 
soon ! " 

Elspeth  stretched  out  her  shrivelled  arms 
and  dropped  her  staff.  Then  she  turned  to 
the  pirate  and  answered  him.  Her  voice  came 
hard  and  shrill  from  between  her  withered  lips. 

"  Since  thou  wouldst  know,"  she  said,  "  the 


236  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

things  that  shall  be,  hear  this,  oh  Rudri,  that 
he  shall  be  defeated  upon  whose  side  the  first 
blood-drop  is  spilled  !  " 

A  heavy  silence  fell  after  her  words.  It  was 
broken  by  a  loud  laugh  from  the  pirate's  deep 
throat. 

"  Be  it  as  thou  wilt,"  he  cried.  But  Elspeth 
in  that  moment  snatched  a  dagger  from  her 
girdle,  and  gathering  her  strength  she  made  a 
lunge  with  it  at  the  man's  broad  chest.  The 
weapon  turned  upon  the  strong  armour  that 
he  wore,  and,  unhurt,  he  caught  her  by  the 
wrist,  raising  his  sword. 

Now  Elspeth  had  spoken  in  the  Danish,  and 
the  chieftain,  remembering  her  words  of  proph- 
ecy, and,  it  may  be,  thinking  that  she  was  of 
the  Norse  folk,  lowered  his  weapon  and  flung 
the  old  woman  away  from  him.  Then  seeing 
Lulach  limping  away,  and  taking  him  to  be  a 
Scot,  he  ran  after  the  lad,  eager  that  the  first 
blood  should  be  that  of  one  born  in  Bute. 
Catching  Lulach  by  the  long  hair  he  speedily 
slew  him. 

"  'Tis  done ! "  said  Rudri  when  he  saw  that 
the  lad  was  dead.  "  And  now  have  we  fore- 
stalled our  enemies  and  assured  to  ourselves 
the  victory.  On,  on,  my  men  !  "  he  cried,  turn- 
ing to  his  followers.  "  The  first  blood  of  our 
enemies  hath  been  spilled !  On  !  on  !  the  vic- 
tory is  sure !  " 


THE    INVASION    OF    BUTE  237 

One  by  one  the  ships  dropped  anchor  in  the 
bay,  and  from  each  there  poured  a  vast  num- 
ber of  warriors  carrying  bows  and  battle-axes, 
swords  and  spears.  Behind  their  leaders,  the 
terrible  Rudri  and  the  king  of  Man,  they 
marched  upward  to  the  castle  of  Kilmory. 

"  Spare  not ! "  cried  Rudri,  flourishing  his 
sword. 

"  Death  to  the  traitor  of  Bute,  the  slayer  of 
our  children  !  "  cried  Sweyn  of  Colonsay. 

"  On,  on,  men  of  Jura  !  "  croaked  Erland  the 
Old. 

"  Down  with  the  Scots  !  "  thundered  Magnus 
of  Man. 

From  the  topmost  towers  of  his  castle  Sir 
Oscar  Redmain  watched  the  hosts  advance. 
Nearer  and  yet  nearer  they  came. 

"  Steady,  my  lads,  and  take  good  aim,"  he 
said  coolly,  as  he  fixed  an  arrow  to  his  bow- 
string. "  Now !  "  he  cried,  and  as  the  enemy 
came  within  bow-shot  a  shower  of  well-aimed 
arrows  met  them,  and  many  men  fell.  The 
shields  of  their  companions  bristled  with  the 
arrows  whose  flight  they  had  stopped.  But 
the  long-haired  warriors  pressed  on  to  the  castle 
gates,  behind  which  stood  Allan  Redmain  with 
half  the  garrison  at  his  back. 

From  the  hilltop  of  Barone,  Aasta  the  Fair 
had  watched  the  ships  approaching  from  afar, 
and  at  the  moment  of  first  seeing  them  she 


238  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

clashed  a  flint  and  steel  and  promptly  lighted 
a  bundle  of  dry  twigs  and  straw.  The  signal 
fire  was  seen  from  Rothesay,  and  at  once  Earl 
Kenric,  at  the  head  of  fivescore  of  men, 
marched  across  the  island  towards  Kilmory. 
But  so  quickly  had  the  invaders  landed,  so 
speedily  had  they  stormed  the  stronghold,  that 
ere  Kenric  and  his  followers  appeared  upon  the 
heights,  the  castle  of  Kilmory  was  in  flames. 

The  Norsemen,  taking  their  machines  to  the 
rear,  had  stormed  the  building  at  its  weakest 
point.  The  heavy  missiles  from  their  shot- 
wagons  soon  succeeded  in  making  a  breach. 
Then  a  detachment  of  Rudri's  men  brought 
sheaves  of  new-cut  corn  and  bundles  of  hay 
from  the  stackyard,  and  flinging  them  within 
the  breach  set  them  in  flames.  The  stout 
walls  of  oak  very  soon  caught  fire,  and  Sir 
Oscar  Redmain  and  his  archers  on  the  towers 
speedily  found  themselves  inclosed  in  clouds  of 
smoke.  Their  cries  as  they  ran  down  the  inner 
stairs  and  discovered  the  awful  fate  that  awaited 
them  were  terrible  to  hear. 

From  the  rear  of  the  castle  the  Norsemen 
brought  round  their  machines  to  the  gates,  and 
with  their  heavy  battering-rams  they  burst  in 
the  strong  doors.  Some  of  Allan  Redmain's 
men  rushed  out,  only  to  be  cut  down  by  the 
warriors  who  awaited  them.  Twice  did  Allan 
call  to  his  guards  to  follow  him  and  cut  their 


THE    INVASION    OF    BUTE  239 

way  through  the  barrier  of  swords  and  spears: 
and  twice  were  they  driven  back  into  the  burn- 
ing castle.  A  third  attempt  was  made.  Allan 
valiantly  encountered  his  foes,  who  now  gave 
way,  for  at  that  moment  they  were  attacked  in 
their  rear  by  the  men  of  Rothesay. 

In  the  ranks  of  the  Norsemen,  Kenric  espied 
Earl  Sweyn  of  Colonsay. 

"  Traitor !  slayer  of  my  people's  children  ! " 
cried  Sweyn,  pressing  forward.  "  Let  me  at 
you  that  I  may  smite  you  to  the  earth ! " 

Kenric  stood  on  guard.  Sweyn  raised  his 
heavy  battle-axe ;  but,  before  he  could  strike, 
Kenric  so  wounded  him  on  the  shoulder  that 
he  dropped  his  weapon.  Then  a  crowd  of  men 
pressing  in  between  separated  them. 

For  an  hour's  time  the  skirmish  continued, 
Kenric  and  Allan  Redmain  fighting  side  by 
side.  But  meanwhile  the  Norse  leader,  Rudri, 
had  called  off  the  larger  number  of  his  men  to 
the  ships,  leaving  but  a  few  score  behind  under 
Sweyn  of  Colonsay  and  another. 

In  the  thick  of  the  fight  Duncan  Graham 
sought  his  master's  side. 

"  Back,  back,  my  lord !  "  he  cried.  "  Back  to 
the  castle  of  Rothesay !  The  ships  have  already 
left  the  bay.  In  two  hours'  time  they  will  be 
round  at  Rothesay !  " 

Kenric  then  rallied  his  men  and  charged  his 
foes  most  vigorously,  and  those  who  were  not 


240  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

cut  down  took  to  flight.  Earl  Sweyn,  retreat- 
ing towards  the  hill  of  Quien  with  twoscore 
of  his  followers  took  ambush  until  the  men  of 
Rothesay  had  left  Kilmory.  Then,  full  of 
angry  vengeance  and  intent  upon  slaughter,  he 
led  his  small  troop  northward.  Every  cottage 
and  farmstead  that  he  could  find  he  entered. 
But  not  in  one  of  them  did  he  discover  man, 
woman,  or  child.  The  men  were  all  under 
arms.  The  women  and  children  were  all  in 
the  safe  refuge  of  the  vaults  of  St.  Blane's. 

Allan  Redmain,  finding  that  it  was  vain  to 
attempt  to  save  his  father's  castle,  remained  for 
a  time  upon  the  scene  of  ruin  and  devastation. 
His  father,  Sir  Oscar,  had  been  slain  by  an 
arrow,  and  his  body  was  devoured  by  the  flames. 
When  Allan  had  tended  the  wounded,  both  foes 
and  friends,  he  took  six  of  his  best  men-at-arms 
with  him,  and  by  devious  ways  marched  south 
to  St.  Blane's,  there  to  remain  on  guard  with 
three  hundred  others,  whom  Kenric  had  sta- 
tioned at  various  points  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
abbey. 


THE    SIEGE    OF    ROTHESAY    CASTLE  24! 

CHAPTER   XXIV 

THE    SIEGE    OF    ROTHESAY    CASTLE 

WITH  the  loss  of  twelve  men  slain  and 
twenty  wounded  in  the  skirmish  of  Kil- 
mory,  Kenric  returned  to  his  castle,  and  there 
completed  his  preparations  to  resist  the  invad- 
ers. He  had  drawn  off  his  ships.  Three  of 
them  were  anchored  in  Dunagoil  Bay,  with 
many  fishermen  and  husbandmen  —  untrained 
in  battle  —  ready  at  hand  in  case  Allan  Red- 
main  required  them.  A  thousand  men-at-arms 
were  within  the  castle,  while  a  band  of  the  best 
archers  were  stationed  on  the  battlements. 
Along  the  shoreline  from  Rothesay  to  Ardbeg 
five  hundred  archers  were  in  ambush,  and  be- 
yond Ardbeg,  in  the  bay  of  Kames,  lay  four  gal- 
leys of  war,  well  equipped — ready  to  dash  out 
upon  the  enemy  as  they  passed,  and,  if  possi- 
ble, frustrate  the  landing  of  their  forces. 

The  castle  of  Rothesay  was  so  situated  that 
it  commanded  a  long  view  of  the  waters  through 
which  the  enemy's  ships  must  approach  from 
the  north  of  the  island.  The  fortress,  which 
was  constructed  of  stone,  had  been  built  in  the 
year  1098  by  Magnus  Barelegs,  king  of  Nor- 
way, who  lived  in  Bute  for  three  years.  It  was 


242  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

a  circular  building,  150  feet  in  diameter.  The 
walls  were  nine  feet  thick  and  forty  feet  high, 
flanked  by  four  round  towers.  As  a  fortifica- 
tion it  was  ill  designed,  even  upon  ancient 
principles.  Though  stronger  than  any  other 
in  all  the  Western  Isles,  it  had  neither  moat 
nor  drawbridge.  Even  the  gate,  though  it  was 
of  strong  oak,  lined  with  iron  bars,  was  ill  pro- 
tected. It  was  neither  flanked  nor  machico- 
lated,  and  it  might  have  been  mined  or 
assaulted  at  any  point.  The  enemy  could 
approach  under  the  walls  without  fear  of  being 
annoyed  by  showers  of  boiling  lead  or  tar,  and, 
if  they  kept  close  in,  neither  could  arrows  reach 
them  with  any  certain  aim. 

But  on  the  castle's  heights  there  had  been 
collected  many  tons  weight  of  missile  weapons, 
with  machines  for  throwing  them.  One  of 
these  machines  was  a  Norse  skotvagn  or  shoot- 
ing truck.  It  was  made  like  a  wagon,  mounted 
on  a  pair  of  wheels.  At  its  back  end  was  a 
long  shaft  with  an  open  box  at  its  extremity. 
This  box  had  to  be  loaded  with  heavy  stones. 
Fixed  to  the  axle  of  the  wagon  were  two  chains, 
one  at  either  side,  so  strong  as  to  be  able  to  sud- 
denly check  and  hold  the  carriage  when  it  was 
running  full  tilt  down  a  planked  incline.  As 
soon  as  the  chains  arrested  its  race,  it  would 
shoot  out  its  load  on  those  below.  It  was  al- 
ways best  to  load  it  with  stones  of  different  sizes. 


THE    SIEGE    OF    ROTHESAY    CASTLE  243 

Kenric  was  engaged  in  giving  a  last  atten- 
tion to  this  shot-truck,  when,  from  the  heights 
of  the  battlements,  he  saw  the  figure  of  Aasta 
the  Fair  running  towards  the  castle  from  the 
northward.  It  vexed  him  much  to  see  the  wild 
girl  thus  exposed  to  the  dangers  that  might 
soon  overtake  her,  and  he  bade  Dovenald,  the 
old  bard,  go  down  and  unfasten  the  postern 
that  she  might  enter.  Duncan  Graham  had 
already  been  sent  south  to  the  abbey. 

"  How  happens  it,  Aasta,  that  you  went  not 
to  St.  Blane's  as  you  were  advised  ? "  Kenric 
asked,  when  he  met  her  in  one  of  the  lower 
corridors. 

"  My  lord,"  said  she,  "  I  went  but  to  the  hill 
of  Kilbride  to  watch  the  ships  in  their  passage 
through  the  Kyles,  and  I  judge  that  they  will 
be  here  in  the  space  of  another  hour.  As  I 
came  backward  through  Glen  More  I  saw  a 
band  of  men  with  Sweyn  of  Colonsay  ravaging 
the  farmsteads  and  setting  them  in  flames. 
Twelve  cottages  did  I  pass  that  had  been  razed 
to  the  ground.  The  saints  be  praised,  all  our 
people  are  safe !  But  oh,  my  lord,  Lulach, 
Lulach  is  slain !  He  was  the  first  to  fall." 

"  Lulach  ? " 

"  Yes,  and  more.  Know  ye  who  slew  him  ? 
It  was  even  the  man  of  whom  we  heard  speech 
in  Gigha,  Rudri  the  Rover." 

"  Since   Lulach  is  dead,  what  boots  it  who 


244  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

slew  him,  Aasta?  'Tis  but  the  misfortune  of 
war,"  said  Kenric,  turning  away. 

"  Wait,  my  lord,"  said  she,  holding  him  back. 
"  Methinks  you  do  not  know  this  Rudri.  But 
Elspeth  Blackfell  took  little  time  to  discover 
that  much.  The  man  Rudri  is  none  other  than 
he  who  so  basely  slew  your  father  and  overcame 
my  lord  Alpin  in  combat.  Rudri  the  Rover  is 
none  other  than  Roderic  MacAlpin  !  " 

Kenric  drew  back  amazed.  "  Roderic  Mac- 
Alpin ! "  he  exclaimed.  "  The  saints  protect 
us !  Ah,  simpleton  that  I  have  been  to  have 
faith  that  that  villain  ever  meant  to  keep  to  his 
vows !  And  this  is  how  he  went  on  the  pil- 
grimage !  and  all  these  months,  while  we  have 
fondly  believed  that  he  was  serving  the  Cross, 
he  has  but  been  serving  his  own  ambitious 
ends !  It  was  he,  then,  who  led  the  Norsemen 
to  Gigha !  It  was  he  who  besought  King 
Hakon  to  let  him  make  the  invasion  of  Bute, 
that  he  might  murder  our  children  and  lay 
waste  our  lands  —  that  he  might  claim  the  do- 
minion he  covets !  But  by  my  father's  soul  he 
shall  yet  fail!" 

Then  Kenric  unsheathed  his  sword,  and 
solemnly  swore  upon  the  cross  of  its  hilt  that 
never  should  that  weapon  leave  him  until  either 
himself  or  Roderic  the  Outlaw  lay  dead. 

The  story  of  Roderic  since  the  time  of  his 
quitting  the  isle  of  Bute  may  soon  be  told. 


THE    SIEGE    OF    ROTHESAY    CASTLE  245 

Scarce  had  he  passed  the  rock  of  Ailsa  Craig 
ere  he  had  resolved  to  break  his  vows  of 
penance  and  go  his  own  chosen  ways.  Sailing 
southward  in  the  English  salt-ship,  he  was  still 
upon  familiar  waters.  He  lay  quiet  for  three 
days,  recovering  from  his  wounds ;  then,  when 
the  vessel  was  abreast  of  the  Isle  of  Man,  he  for- 
cibly took  the  helm,  and  drawing  his  sword, 
threatened  the  life  of  any  man  who  dared  ap- 
proach him,  and  he  steered  the  ship  into  the 
haven  of  Peel-town.  There  he  landed  among 
the  descendants  of  the  Norse  King  Orry,  and 
seeking  out  his  friend  Magnus,  who  was  the 
lord  and  monarch  of  that  land,  with  him  he 
lived  for  many  months,  until  on  a  time  there 
came  a  message  from  Hakon  of  Norway,  bid- 
ding King  Magnus  set  forth  with  his  ships  of 
war  to  the  Western  Isles.  When  the  Manx 
ships  joined  Hakon's  navy  at  Skye,  Roderic  the 
Rover  was  welcomed  above  all  other  chiefs, 
and  he  offered  that  the  isle  of  Gigha  should  be 
made  the  headquarters  of  the  forces,  from  which 
they  might  easily  swoop  down  upon  Bute  and 
Arran,  and  thence  invade  the  mainland  of 
Scotland. 

"  Methinks,  my  lord,"  said  old  Dovenald,  as 
he  stood  with  Kenric  and  Aasta,  "  that  this 
outlaw  will  not  now  be  satisfied  until  he  hath 
compassed  your  death.  Forget  not,  I  implore 
you,  that  you  alone  stand  between  him  and  his 


246  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

ambitions.  It  would  go  ill  with  us  all  if  he 
should  succeed,  and  methinks  'twere  well  that 
you  took  timely  refuge  where  he  could  not  find 
you." 

"My  lord,"  said  Aasta,  "what  Dovenald  says 
is  but  wisdom ;  and  now,  if  you  would  take  safe 
hiding,  I  know  of  a  little  cave  above  the  shores 
of  Ascog  Bay  wherein  you  might  be  secure 
from  all  discovery." 

"  What  ?  and  would  you  counsel  me  to  shrink 
from  meeting  this  man  ?  No,  no,  my  friends. 
I  am  no  craven,  and  it  is  not  thus  that  I  will 
desert  my  post.  Here  do  I  stand  to  defend  our 
stronghold  ;  and  while  I  have  a  drop  of  blood 
in  my  body  so  long  will  I  fight." 

Soon  from  the  battlements  the  six  ships  of 
Roderic  were  seen  emerging  from  the  Kyles  of 
Bute,  and  as  they  passed  Ardmaleish  Point,  the 
four  galleys  of  Rothesay  dashed  out  from  the 
bay  of  Kames,  and  encountered  the  enemy. 
They  met  him  with  a  rain  of  well-aimed  arrows 
and  showers  of  missiles.  The  two  ships  of 
Roderic  and  King  Magnus  shot  ahead,  leaving 
their  four  consorts  behind  to  engage  broadside 
to  broadside  with  the  vessels  of  Bute,  and  there 
followed  a  terrible  sea-fight  hand  to  hand- 
Scots  broadsword  against  Norse  battle-axe  - 
that  lasted  many  hours,  until  the  vessels  of  both 
sides,  much  damaged,  and  with  the  loss  of  four- 


THE    SIEGE    OF    ROTHESAY    CASTLE  247 

score  of  men  and  more,  found  themselves  drifted 
into  Rothesay  Bay. 

From  the  towers,  as  he  watched  the  opening 
of  the  fight,  Earl  Kenric  espied  a  band  of  men 
marching  upon  Rothesay  from  the  northward. 
They  were  the  men  of  Colonsay,  led  by  Earl 
Sweyn,  who  had  been  reinforced  by  fifty  men 
from  the  ships.  It  was  this  band  whom  Aasta 
had  seen  setting  the  deserted  homesteads  in 
flames.  Sweyn  was  now  bending  his  course 
upon  Rothesay  village.  But,  as  he  came  within 
bow-shot,  Kenric  and  his  archers  were  ready. 
Kenric  took  careful  aim  and  bent  his  bow  as  he 
had  never  bent  it  before.  Swiftly  the  arrow 
sped  with  whizzing  noise,  and  it  curved  in  its 
flight,  dropping  lower  and  lower  until  it  dived 
deep  into  the  bare  throat  of  the  Earl  of  Colon- 
say.  As  Sweyn  fell,  his  men  saw  that  the  dart 
had  pierced  through  his  neck  even  to  the  back 
of  his  collar-bone,  and,  enraged  at  the  loss  of 
their  master,  they  ran  yet  farther.  But  one  by 
one  they  staggered  and  fell,  each  with  an  arrow 
quivering  in  his  broad  chest,  and  those  who  re- 
mained alive  took  flight  beyond  range. 

And  now  Kenric  turned  to  watch  the  ships 
of  Magnus  and  Roderic,  which,  with  the  galley 
of  John  of  Islay  in  their  wake,  were  now  well 
within  the  bay.  Driven  by  their  long-sweeping 
oars,  they  crept  shoreward  until  their  peaked 
bows  grounded  in  the  shallows.  The  warriors 


248  THE   THIRSTY   SWORD 

then  swarmed  over  the  bulwarks  and  dropped 
into  the  water,  wading  breast-deep  to  the  beach. 
Kenric's  bowmen  from  the  battlements  and  from 
the  rising  ground  above  the  shore  began  to  assail 
the  bold  invaders.  But,  little  daunted,  the 
Norsemen  landed  in  great  numbers,  taking 
ashore  their  besieging  engines  and  various 
instruments  of  war. 

Then  might  be  seen  stones,  arrows,  quarrels, 
and  other  missiles  to  fly  among  them,  and  so 
effectively  did  those  within  the  castle  exchange 
their  tokens  with  those  without  that  in  one 
short  hour  there  were  many  scores  of  persons 
wounded,  and  I  know  not  how  many  killed. 
The  heaviest  of  the  besieging  engines  were 
worked  in  throwing  massive  stones,  which  could 
be  got  in  plenty  and  of  every  size  upon  the 
shingly  beach.  And  when  there  was  a  good 
hit,  a  great  shout  arose  among  the  invading 
host.  Many  shot-wagons  and  three  other 
machines  were  brought  by  the  enemy  —  very 
large,  of  great  power,  and  very  destructive  — 
which  might  be  thought  to  cut  down  and  crush 
whatever  their  missiles  struck.  But  the  walls 
of  Rothesay  Castle  were  strong  and  thick,  and 
the  stones  that  struck  them  only  shivered  into  a 
thousand  fragments. 

Many  a  well-directed  arrow  did  he  of  Rothe- 
say receive,  but  he  placed  before  him  his  great 
white  shield  with  a  red  cross  engrailed.  With 


THE    SIEGE   OF    ROTHESAY    CASTLE  249 

his  head  protected  by  a  strong  brass  helm,  and 
his  chest  with  a  well-wrought  coat  of  mail,  he 
escaped  all  hurt.  Nor  did  he  lose  courage,  but 
cheered  his  men  lustily  as  though  it  were  but  a 
boy's  game  he  was  playing.  But  ever  he  kept 
his  watchful  eye  upon  the  Norsemen,  eager  to 
pick  out  the  tall  figure  of  his  uncle  and  dreaded 
foe  Roderic.  Not  once  but  many  times  did  he 
see  him  standing  with  a  dozen  of  his  compan- 
ions directing  the  siege.  Kenric  many  times 
took  up  his  long-bow  and  sent  his  arrow-shafts 
swiftly  towards  the  heart  of  his  enemy.  Rod- 
eric was  clothed  in  complete  armour,  and 
though  many  of  his  nephew's  arrows  struck  him, 
yet  they  but  broke  upon  his  breastplate  and 
fell  shivered  to  his  feet. 

For  four  long  hours  the  battle  continued, 
and  at  Kenric's  side  many  brave  men  lay  dead. 
On  the  plain  before  the  castle  sevenscore  of 
Norsemen  lay  slain.  Then,  as  the  sun  went 
down,  and  the  evening  clouds  brought  heavy 
rain,  the  enemy  retired  to  their  ships.  By  this 
time  the  three  vessels  that  had  been  engaged 
with  the  ships  of  Bute  were  drawn  alongside 
their  consorts,  and  Kenric's  four  galleys  had 
sailed  out  to  sea,  so  that  in  the  cover  of 
darkness  they  might  approach  under  the  abbey 
of  St.  Blane's,  and  give  ready  succour  should 
the  enemy  discover  the  retreat  of  the  women 
and  children. 


25O  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

Early  in  the  morning  the  whole  of  Rodericks 
forces  landed,  and  now  they  stormed  the  castle 
gates  with  all  their  strength.  So  stoutly  did 
they  assail  them  with  their  powerful  battering- 
rams  that  in  the  space  of  an  hour  the  doors  fell 
in  with  a  loud  crash.  In  the  wide  hall  stood 
Kenric  with  his  sword  in  hand.  Behind  him 
were  ranked  a  good  three  hundred  fighting  men. 
In  their  midst  was  the  maid  Aasta  the  Fair, 
wearing,  as  all  the  men  wore,  a  coat  of  mail  and 
a  brass  head-piece.  In  firm  ranks  they  all 
stood  with  pikes  and  spears  aslant  to  meet  the 
inrush  of  valiant  Norsemen. 

The  first  man  whom  Kenric  encountered 
was  Erland  the  Old  of  Jura.  Enraged  to  see 
this  man,  who  had  taken  hospitality  in  the 
castle,  now  helping  to  storm  it,  he  fought  with 
his  full  strength  and  felled  him  with  one  blow. 
Cutting  his  way  through  the  ranks  of  his  foes 
he  at  last  reached  the  fallen  gates.  But 
nothing  did  he  yet  see  of  Roderic.  Many  men 
did  he  kill,  for  none  could  stand  against  the 
terrible  onslaught  of  his  great  sword.  And 
ever  at  his  side,  fighting  with  fearless  courage, 
was  Aasta  the  Fair,  and  of  the  foemen  a  full 
half  dozen  did  she  slay  with  her  sword,  for  she 
was  most  powerful  of  arm  and  feared  not  the 
sight  of  blood. 

Well  might  Kenric  seek  in  vain  for  the 
towering  helm  of  Roderic.  For  even  as  the 


THE    SIEGE    OF    ROTHESAY    CASTLE          25! 

gates  gave  way  that  warrior,  with  Magnus  of 
Man,  had  taken  off  a. body  of  their  Manxmen 
to  the  west  postern.  This  little  door,  which, 
as  Roderic  well  knew,  was  the  weakest  point  in 
all  the  castle,  they  assailed  with  their  ponderous 
battle-axes,  and  never  did  smith  with  his  ham- 
mer strike  his  iron  as  Roderic  struck  there. 
While  Kenric  and  his  chosen  men-at-arms  were 
fighting  against  those  who  were  pressing  in  by 
the  main  gates,  Roderic  thus  gained  an  en- 
trance into  the  castle.  He  slew  with  his  own 
hand  a  full  score  of  the  garrison  and  passed 
over  their  dead  bodies  up  the  stone  stairs.  In 
a  little  time  thereafter  he  stood  upon  the  battle- 
ments, where  Dovenald  and  his  companions  of 
the  bow  were  showering  their  arrows  upon  the 
invaders  without  the  walls.  There,  cutting 
down  old  Dovenald  in  a  most  cruel  fashion, 
Roderic  tore  down  the  honoured  red  lion  of 
Scotland  and  hoisted  in  its  stead  the  blue  and 
white  falcon  of  the  Norseman.  This  done,  he 
returned  with  his  many  followers  to  the  hall 
and  charged  upon  the  men  of  Rothesay  in  their 
rear. 

Kenric,  placed  thus  between  two  strong 
companies  of  his  enemies,  was  taken  at  a  sore 
disadvantage.  He  felt  that  the  men  about 
him  were  falling  on  every  side.  Soon  those 
without  the  gates  gave  way,  and  the  men-  of 
Bute  were  fairly  driven  out  of  the  castle  at  the 


252  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

spear's  point.  Then  Kenric  and  a  few  of  his 
body-guard,  not  knowing  what  had  happened, 
and  believing  that  the  stronghold  was  still  in 
the  hands  of  their  own  garrison,  pursued  the 
retreating  Norsemen  to  the  ships.  On  the 
beach  a  vigorous  engagement  took  place. 

The  Norsemen  scrambled  on  board  from 
one  vessel  to  its  companions  alongside.  Ken- 
ric, followed  by  Aasta  and  a  crowd  of  their 
Scots,  waded  deep  into  the  water,  still  pressing 
behind  the  men  of  Jura  and  Islay.  They  even 
climbed  upon  the  first  galleys'  decks,  and  there 
stood  fighting  for  many  minutes. 

In  the  midst  of  this  battling  Kenric  observed 
the  viking's  flag  flying  above  the  battlements. 
He  called  his  men  off  the  ships,  and  as  they 
returned  to  the  castle  Roderic  and  some  of  his 
warriors  passed  round  by  the  rear  of  the  build- 
ing and  regained  their  vessels.  The  galleys 
were  then  pushed  off  into  the  deeper  water,  and 
not  till  they  were  afloat  did  Kenric  realize  that 
he  had  not  for  some  minutes  seen  the  brave 
girl  Aasta.  In  truth,  the  maiden  was  at  that 
time  struggling  on  board  one  of  the  galleys 
with  Roderic  the  Outlaw,  who  soon  disarmed 
her  and  thrust  her  as  a  captive  into  the  cabin 
of  one  of  his  ships. 

Kenric  returned  to  his  castle,  only  to  find 
that  it  had  fallen  entirely  into  the  hands  of  the 


THE    SIEGE    OF    ROTHESAY    CASTLE  253 

enemy,  who  had  put  the  remainder  of  the  gar- 
rison to  the  sword. 

Utterly  defeated,  but  himself  scarcely 
wounded,  the  young  lord  of  Bute  rallied  what 
men  he  could  and  drew  them  off  to  the  high 
ground  where  Roderic  had  stood.  The  arrows 
of  a  few  Norsemen  from  the  battlements  pur- 
sued him,  and  seeing  that  there  was  now  no 
chance  of  regaining  possession  of  his  strong- 
hold, he  could  only  think  of  the  safety  of  his 
people  and  try  to  protect  them  from  the  rav- 
ages of  the  victors.  The  villagers  of  Rothesay 
had  already  deserted  their  homes,  which  so 
far  had  remained  unmolested,  though  sadly 
battered  about  by  stray  stones  and  other 
missiles. 

And  now  did  Kenric  fully  see  the  wisdom  of 
what  he  had  done  in  securing  his  helpless 
islanders  under  the  safe  keeping  of  the  abbot 
of  St.  Blane's.  Had  he  advised  them  to  take 
refuge  in  the  castle  they  would  assuredly  have 
fallen  victims  to  the  wanton  swords  of  their 
enemies.  Had  he  failed  to  act  with  prompt 
foresight  upon  the  information  gained  in  Gigha, 
the  men  of  Colonsay,  with  other  vengeful  war- 
riors, would  have  massacred  every  woman  and 
child  in  the  island,  for  such  was  assuredly 
their  intent.  Happily  they  had  found  every 
dwelling  unoccupied,  with  its  more  valued  con- 
tents safely  removed ;  and  though  they  had 


254  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

indeed  brought  many  of  those  homesteads  to 
the  ground,  yet  the  lives  of  the  inhabitants 
were  still  secure. 

It  now  remained  for  Kenric  to  assure  himself 
that  no  prowling  Norseman  should  by  chance 
discover  the  place  of  refuge  of  those  who  had 
so  timely  abandoned  their  homes ;  and  to  this 
end  he  bade  his  remaining  followers  make  pre- 
tence of  taking  shelter  in  the  forest  of  Barone, 
whence  they  might  move  unobserved  by  the 
enemy  to  the  south  of  the  island  and  so  guard 
the  abbey  of  St.  Blane's. 


CHAPTER  XXV 

THE    GREAT    NORSE    INVASION 

IT  were  vain  to  look  for  good  generalship  in 
a  time  so  remote  as  that  of  the  reign  of 
Alexander  III.  Wallace  and  Bruce  had  not 
yet  appeared  to  teach  the  Scots  the  advantage 
of  united  action,  and  the  methods  of  warfare 
were  still  of  an  unmilitary  kind.  Battles  were 
little  better  than  mere  free  fights,  without  order, 
without  controlling  discipline,  without  precon- 
certed plan.  It  may  be  that  Kenric  of  Bute 
might,  with  a  little  more  forethought  in  the 
disposal  of  his  forces,  have  saved  his  castle  from 


THE    GREAT    NORSE    INVASION  255 

the  hands  of  his  enemies.  But  a  lad  of  seven- 
teen, with  no  better  counsellors  than  a  few 
peaceful  men  such  as  Sir  Oscar  Redmain  and 
the  Abbot  Thurstan  —  men  inexperienced  in 
the  arts  of  war,  and  ill  qualified  to  repel  an  in- 
vader or  hold  a  castle  against  a  siege  —  what 
could  he  do?  Sir  Oscar  Redmain  was  killed 
in  the  first  engagement.  The  abbot  was  suffi- 
ciently occupied  with  the  protection  of  his 
church  lands,  and  the  one  skilful  soldier  who 
could  have  organized  the  defences  —  Sir  Piers 
de  Currie  —  was  even  now  defending  his  own 
castle  of  Ranza  against  the  forces  of  Margad. 

Nevertheless,  the  manner  in  which  Kenric 
defended  the  sacred  buildings  of  St.  Blane's 
redeemed  the  mistakes  he  had  committed  in  a 
too  great  division  of  his  forces  at  Rothesay. 

He  protected  the  abbey  lands  from  a  possible 
approach  of  the  enemy  from  the  sea  by  station- 
ing six  of  his  ships,  fully  manned,  at  regular 
intervals  along  the  south  coast  of  the  island 
from  Glencallum  Bay  to  the  bay  of  Dunagoil. 
Thus  disposed,  the  vessels  formed  a  half  circle 
round  the  abbey  and  its  demesnes.  At  Duna- 
goil he  stationed  a  guard  of  five  hundred  men 
under  Allan  Redmain,  with  a  like  number  in 
Glencallum,  under  Duncan  Graham,  ready  at  a 
moment's  warning  to  form  a  connection  across 
the  neck  of  land.  Within  the  walled  inclosure 
known  as  the  Circle  of  Penance,  standing  mid- 


256  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

way  between  these  two  stations,  were  two 
hundred  other  men  under  Kenric  himself. 
Thus  the  abbey  and  its  grange  with  some  forty 
cottages  were  entirely  surrounded. 

The  abbey  with  its  chapel  was  a  small  build- 
ing in  the  Norman  style,  inclosed  by  a  high 
wall,  and  standing  in  a  grove  of  birch  and  ash 
trees.  In  the  crypt  of  the  chapel  and  within 
the  cottages  the  women  of  Bute,  some  hundreds 
in  number,  had  made  their  retreat,  and  the 
Lady  Adela  of  Rothesay  had  a  most  anxious 
four  days  attending  to  her  numerous  charges. 
Food  there  was  in  plenty,  of  a  simple  sort,  and 
the  wells  within  the  abbey  buildings  provided 
abundance  of  pure  water.  In  the  underground 
passage  connecting  the  crypt  with  the  walled 
inclosure  of  the  Circle  of  Penance  the  children 
had  been  collected.  Ailsa  Redmain  was  with 
them,  attending  to  their  many  wants,  helped 
by  some  of  the  women. 

All  this  had  been  Kenric's  doing,  and  to  him 
would  be  due  the  praise  and  the  thanks  of  the 
people  of  Bute  if  his  plan  of  defence  should 
succeed.  But  Kenric  was  not  at  his  ease,  for 
he  knew  that  should  the  Norsemen  set  aside 
thoughts  of  the  sanctity  of  the  place  and  make 
a  successful  descent  upon  the  abbey,  then 
surely  the  women  and  children  would  be  discov- 
ered and  an  appalling  massacre  might  follow. 
Little  cared  he  for  the  loss  of  his  castle  and 


THE    GREAT    NORSE    INVASION  257 

lands;  little  thought  he  of  the  value  of  his 
own  young  life.  His  one  purpose  was  to  make 
a  strong  defence  and  to  save  his  people,  for 
whose  sakes  there  was  nothing  he  would  not 
dare  to  do. 

And  now  his  most  earnest  wish  was  to  know 
whether  the  enemy  would  make  their  attack 
by  sea  or  by  land.  He  was  equally  prepared 
for  either  course. 

It  was  wearing  towards  sundown,  and  yet 
there  were  no  signs.  The  castle  of  Rothesay 
had  been  taken  before  noon.  Where  now 
were  the  enemy?  At  last  Elspeth  Blackfell 
came  to  Kenric,  who  stood  with  the  abbot 
within  the  thick  walls  of  the  inclosure. 

"  My  lord,"  said  she,  "  I  hear  the  tread  of 
many  feet.  It  is  by  land  they  come.  Oh,  that 
I  knew  where  my  sweet  Aasta  hath  gone,  and 
if  she  be  still  in  life ! " 

"  Father,"  said  Kenric  to  the  abbot,  "  will 
you  now  do  as  I  propose  ?  " 

"  What  would  you,  my  son  ? "  asked  the 
abbot. 

"  It  is  that  you  would  now  go  without  these 
walls  and  boldly  face  our  enemies,  holding 
before  you  the  crucifix.  If  Roderic  be  their 
leader,  it  may  be  that  the  sight  of  you  will 
move  him  to  a  sense  of  the  holiness  of  this 
place,  and  haply  you  may  by  your  arguments 
turn  him  aside  from  his  purpose.  Were  I  to 


258  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

show  myself  —  though,  indeed,  I  would  will- 
ingly face  that  man  and  fight  with  him  to  the 
death  —  he  would  be  moved  to  wrath,  and, 
slaying  me,  he  would  not  rest  any  the  more  in 
his  designs." 

"  I  will  adventure  it,  my  son,"  said  the  abbot 
solemnly. 

"  God  be  with  you,  holy  father,"  added  Ken- 
ric,  crossing  himself. 

"  My  lord,"  said  Elspeth,  "  think  you  that 
Godfrey  Thurstan  can  have  power  to  move 
Roderic  in  this  wise  ?  How  was  it  when  he 
bade  this  man  go  upon  the  pilgrimage  of  pen- 
ance ?  Did  Roderic  then  obey  his  holy  words  ? 
Not  so.  But  there  is  one  whose  words  Roderic 
MacAlpin  will  indeed  take  to  heart,  and  that 
is  your  servant  Elspeth.  Let  me  then  go,  my 
lord.  Open  the  gates  that  I  may  go  forth  and 
face  this  outlaw  and  his  followers.  And  if  it 
be  that  he  turn  not  back,  then  may  the  mas- 
sacre of  our  children  rest  upon  my  head. 
Come,  my  lord  abbot,  let  us  then  go  together." 

Then  some  men  removed  the  heavy  stones 
from  the  gate  and  the  abbot  and  his  aged  com- 
panion went  forth  to  meet  the  advancing  forces. 

Now  as  Roderic,  at  the  head  of  his  army, 
marched  upon  St.  Blane's  he  could  see  nothing 
of  the  defences  that  had  been  prepared.  All 
was  in  appearance  peaceful  as  it  had  been 
when  as  an  innocent  boy  this  pirate  chief  had 


THE    GREAT    NORSE    INVASION  259 

gone  in  the  early  mornings  to  say  mass  with 
the  good  friars.  Above  the  abbey  the  swallows 
lightly  flew.  The  blue  hills  of  Arran  were 
calm  and  grand.  The  sea-gulls  floated  in  mid- 
air above  the  sea,  and  the  autumn  trees  waved 
their  golden  clusters  in  the  breeze.  From  the 
chimneys  of  the  abbey  a  thin  film  of  smoke 
told  only  of  peace.  There  was  nothing  to 
show  that  within  the  small  space  between  him 
and  Garroch  Head  were  collected  together 
many  hundreds  of  islanders  with  anxiously 
beating  hearts  —  islanders  whose  happy  homes 
had  been  laid  waste,  and  who  now  dreaded 
the  moment  that  might  bring  their  death. 
Two  figures  alone  could  Roderic  see.  These 
were  the  abbot  Godfrey  and  the  old  crone 
Elspeth  Blackfell. 

As  the  Norsemen  advanced  with  clashing 
arms  and  regular  tread  the  abbot  looked  up  in 
seeming  surprise,  as  though  his  meditations 
had  been  suddenly  disturbed.  Then  he  paused 
in  his  walk  and  turned  to  meet  the  dreaded 
foe.  Elspeth  followed  him.  With  loud  voice 
Roderic  called  out  to  his  men  to  halt.  Then 
alone  he  went  forward. 

"  What  means  all  this  that  I  see  ? "  began 
the  abbot  with  trembling  voice,  "  and  how 
comes  it,  Roderic  MacAlpin,  that  I  behold  you 
here  in  Bute  with  all  this  strange  following  ? 
Infamous  man !  Did  you  not  but  twelve  short 


2<DO  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

months  ago  solemnly  swear  before  God  that  you 
would  not  set  foot  upon  these  shores  again  ere 
you  had  spent  three  years  of  penance  in  the  ser- 
vice of  the  Most  High  ?  How  come  you  here  ? " 

Then  Roderic  smiled  in  derision. 

"  How  came  I  here  ?  And  wherefore  should 
I  come  if  not  to  claim  mine  own  ?  Wherefore 
should  I  come  if  not  to  destroy  the  young  cub 
Kenric,  who  hath  cruelly  murdered  many  scores 
of  innocent  dwellers  in  the  isles  ?  Mine  own 
have  I  already  regained,  for  I  have  planted  my 
banner  upon  the  towers  of  Rothesay,  and  no 
man  on  earth  shall  now  rob  me  of  what  I  have 
so  hardly  conquered.  Two  other  things  re- 
main ;  and  then  I  go  to  make  further  conquests 
for  my  sovereign  king.  I  shall  have  young 
Kenric's  blood,  and  I  shall  have  my  full  revenge 
for  the  injuries  he  has  done  to  the  people  of 
Colonsay.  And  now,  my  father,  you  will  go 
down  upon  your  knees  before  me  —  for  I  am 
now  your  lord  and  king  and  will  be  obeyed  - 
and  you  shall  tell  me  truly  where  this  young 
whelp  Kenric  is  to  be  found,  that  I  may  slay 
him." 

"  Earl  Kenric  of  Bute  shall  never  be  slain  by 
you,  Roderic  MacAlpin,"  said  Elspeth.  "  For 
though  you  follow  him  over  half  the  world,  as 
you  followed  Rapp  the  Icelander,  yet  shall  you 
never  draw  one  drop  of  blood  from  that  brave 
youth's  body ! " 


THE    GREAT    NORSE    INVASION  26 1 

"  And  who  shall  stay  me  ? "  cried  Roderic. 
"  By  the  mass,  but  you  speak  bold  words,  Dame 
Elspeth ! " 

"  /  will  stay  you !  "  cried  Elspeth.  "  Your 
right  arm  shall  wither,  your  eyes  shall  grow 
blind,  your  life's  blood  shall  turn  to  gall  ere 
you  touch  a  hair  of  Earl  Kenric's  head  !  Re- 
turn whence  you  came,  bold  outlaw.  Go,  ere 
it  be  too  late.  Overmuch  injury  have  you  al- 
ready done  in  this  land  of  your  fathers.  And 
do  you  hope  to  rule  in  Bute  —  do  you  believe 
that  there  is  one  man  in  all  this  land  who 
would  accept  you  as  his  lord  and  master,  and 
who  would  pay  homage  to  you,  after  the  ills 
you  have  done  ?  Vain  fool !  be  satisfied.  Turn 
back  to  your  ships  and  ask  of  Heaven  the  for- 
giveness which  no  man  on  earth  will  now  ac- 
cord you  !  Go,  Roderic  MacAlpin ! " 

"  Miserable  hag ! "  cried  Roderic,  grasping 
his  sword.  "And  think  you  that  I  would  lead 
my  brave  men  away  ere  they  have  had  their 
full  revenge  upon  this  stripling  ?  No,  no !  Lis- 
ten now,  how  they  cry  for  his  blood !  Hear 
how  they  cry  out  for  the  children  whom  you 
have  spirited  away !  Elspeth  Blackfell,  you 
know  where  those  children  are  hidden,  and  by 
Saint  Olaf  you  shall  now  tell  me  where  they 
are,  or  I  will  drive  my  blade  into  your  shriv- 
elled carcase.  Tell  me,  I  say !  " 

"  My  lord  Roderic,"  said  Elspeth,  looking  at 


262  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

him  with  glittering  eyes,  "you  have  lost  your 
own  two  children.  Do  you  still  remember 
them?  Do  you  still  remember  their  rosy 
cheeks,  their  sweet  blue  eyes,  .their  golden 
hair?  Do  you  still  hear  the  music  of  their 
laughter  as  they  played  among  the  pebbles  on 
the  beach  ?  Ah,  it  was  a  sad,  sad  day  for  you 
when  they  were  taken  from  you,  my  lord." 

"A  sad  day  indeed,  Elspeth,"  echoed  the 
sea-rover,  mechanically  sheathing  his  sword, 
and  speaking  in  an  altered  voice  that  had  a 
•touch  of  tenderness  in  it. 

"And  yet,"  added  Elspeth,  "there  lives  in 
Cowall  one  who  might  tell  you  what  became  of 
your  little  ones." 

"What?  You  tell  me  this!  Who  is  that 
man?" 

"  On  one  condition  shall  you  know,"  said 
Elspeth.  "  Take  your  men  away  from  Bute, 
and  no  more  seek  to  learn  whither  our  women 
and  children  are  gone." 

"  Agreed,"  said  Roderic,  "  for  believe  me, 
'tis  no  wish  of  mine  that  the  people  of  my  own 
lands  should  surfer.  Tell  me,  who  is  this  man  ?  " 

"  When  your  followers  are  in  their  ships," 
said  Elspeth,  "when  you  are  taking  up  your 
anchors,  then  will  I  tell  you,  Lord  Roderic. 
And  if  you  keep  your  word  and  leave  us  for  a 
time  in  peace,  most  assuredly  you  shall  yet 
learn  more." 


THE    GREAT    NORSE    INVASION  263 

Now  Roderic,  who  was  a  man  of  iron,  had 
yet  one  soft  place  in  his  heart,  and  that  was 
ever  touched  when  he  thought  of  his  lost  chil- 
dren. Doubtless  Elspeth  knew  all  this,  and 
whether  it  was  true  or  false  that  she  could  give 
him  the  word  he  wished,  she  at  least  succeeded 
in  turning  him  away  from  St.  Blane's,  and 
Kenric,  half-wishing  to  take  his  sword  and  slay 
him  where  he  stood,  peeped  above  the  wall 
where  he  and  his  men  were  intrenched  and 
saw  the  pirate  chief  go  up  to  his  men  and  order 
them  to  turn  back  to  Rothesay. 

In  another  hour  thereafter,  Roderic,  having 
left  the  castle  in  charge  of  one  of  his  captains 
and  a  full  garrison  of  men,  entered  his  ship  and 
with  his  other  galleys  sailed  away  on  his  expe- 
dition of  plunder  on  the  banks  of  the  Clyde. 

Being  joined  by  other  ships  from  Kintyre, 
Islay,  and  Jura,  together  with  the  forces  of 
Margad  who  had  invaded  and  conquered  the 
isle  of  Arran,  his  armament  now  numbered 
sixty  galleys.  They  took  the  castles  of  Dun- 
oon  and  Roseneath,  and  laid  waste  many  vil- 
lages and  farmsteads.  Farther  still  they  went, 
up  the  waters  of  Loch  Long,  devastating  the 
lands  on  either  side.  At  the  head  of  Loch 
Long  they  took  their  smaller  ships  and  mount- 
ing them  on  rollers  made  of  the  trunks  of  larch 
trees,  they  dragged  the  vessels  bodily  over  the 
neck  of  land  that  lies  between  Arrochar  and 


264  THE   THIRSTY    SWORD 

Tarbet,  and  launched  them  on  the  great  lake 
that  is  called  Loch  Lomond. 

Now  on  Loch  Lomond  there  are  many  small 
islands  that  were  at  that  time  thickly  peopled, 
and  many  Scots  of  the  invaded  earldom  of 
Lennox  had  taken  refuge  on  those  islands 
when  they  heard  that  the  Norsemen  were 
advancing.  Their  safeholds  now  became  the 
scenes  of  plunder  and  bloodshed,  the  islands 
were  wasted  with  fire,  the  shores  of  the  beau- 
tiful lake  were  completely  ravaged,  and  the 
houses  on  its  borders  burnt  to  the  ground. 
After  this,  Roderic  and  Magnus  made  an  ex- 
tended expedition  into  the  rich  county  of  Stir- 
ling, in  which  they  massacred  great  numbers 
of  inhabitants,  and  returned  driving  herds  of 
cattle  before  them,  and  loaded  with  booty. 

During  his  voyage  up  the  Clyde,  Roderic 
had  paid  little  heed  to  the  fair  captive  Aasta. 
But  when,  triumphant  and  gloating,  he  returned 
to  the  ships  he  had  left  in  Loch  Long,  he  dis- 
covered that  his  prisoner  had  escaped,  and  he 
was  very  wrathful,  for,  as  he  said,  the  maid  was 
passing  fair,  and  he  had  been  minded  to  take 
her  back  with  him  to  his  castle.  But  no  man 
could  tell  him  how  the  girl  had  escaped,  or 
which  way  she  had  fled. 

Roderic,  having  filled  his  ships  with  plunder, 
then  set  out  for  Kintyre,  where  he  was  to  join 
King  Hakon.  But  entering  the  Clyde  from 


THE    GREAT    NORSE    INVASION  265 

Loch  Long,  he  encountered  a  terrible  storm. 
Ten  of  his  vessels  were  completely  wrecked, 
and  his  own  galley  was  forced  to  steer  clear  of 
Bute,  and  take  refuge  behind  the  islands  of 
Cumbrae. 

The  measure  of  the  Norwegian  success  was 
now  full.  Hakon  had  gained  possession  of 
every  island,  great  and  small,  on  the  west  of 
Scotland.  In  the  far  north  he  had  established 
his  footing  not  only  in  the  Shetlands  and  Ork- 
neys, but  he  had  made  himself  master  of  the 
whole  county  of  Caithness.  In  the  south, 
Kintyre  had  been  unconditionally  ceded  to 
him  by  its  timid  lord.  Bute,  Arran,  and  the 
Cumbraes  had  been  conquered;  the  rich 
county  of  Lennox — one  of  the  most  fruitful 
in  Scotland  —  had  been  laid  waste,  and  on  the 
outer  coasts  of  the  mainland  the  Norsemen 
had  planted  their  banner  on  many  a  well-built 
castle.  Hakon  was  now  intent  upon  conquer- 
ing Scotland,  so,  gathering  his  whole  fleet  of 
nearly  two  hundred  ships,  he  sailed  from  Gigha 
round  the  Mull  of  Kintyre,  and  anchored  in 
Kilbrannan  Sound. 

In  the  meantime  King  Alexander,  having 
received  Kenric's  early  warning  of  the  coming 
of  the  Norsemen,  had  with  many  Scots  and 
English  noblemen  taken  up  his  residence  in 
Stirling  Castle,  there  to  await  further  news. 

One  day  in  September  he  was  out  with  a 


266  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

hawking  party  upon  the  lands  which,  fifty  years 
afterwards,  became  known  to  the  world  as  the 
field  of  Bannockburn,  when  suddenly  a  most 
beautiful  maiden  with  blood-red  hair  threw 
herself  before  his  horse. 

"May  it  please  your  Majesty,"  said  she,  "to 
hear  your  servant's  petition  ?  " 

"  Who,  then,  are  you,  my  pretty  maid  ? "  said 
the  King. 

"  I  am  a  maid  of  Bute,  your  Majesty,  and  a 
faithful  vassal  of  my  lord  Earl  Kenric  of  that 
isle.  And  I  have  come  to  tell  you  that  the 
Norsemen  have  landed  on  your  shores.  They 
have  taken  our  castle  of  Rothesay.  They 
have  harried  your  lands  of  Lennox.  They  are 
approaching  upon  Stirling.  And  oh,  your 
Majesty,  of  your  mercy  I  implore  you  to  give 
speedy  succour  to  your  injured  subjects  by 
driving  this  enemy  from  our  midst !  " 

"  How  came  you  here  ?  "  asked  the  King. 

"  I  was  carried  off  as  a  prisoner  from  Rothe- 
say by  the  tyrant  Roderic  of  Gigha,  who  hath 
been  sent  by  King  Hakon  to  lay  waste  the 
shores  of  the  Clyde.  He  carried  me  as  far  as 
Loch  Long  in  his  ship.  But  there  I  escaped 
and  found  my  way  hither  to  inform  your 
Majesty  of  these  disasters." 

"  Roderic  of  Gigha  ?  "  echoed  the  King.  "  So, 
ho,  and  'tis  he  who  hath  taken  Bute  ?  By  St. 
Andrew,  but  he  shall  not  long  enjoy  his  con- 


AASTA    BRINGS    NEWS    OF   THE    INVASION    TO    THE    KING. 


THE    GREAT    NORSE    INVASION  267 

quests.  My  lords,"  he  added,  turning  to  his 
companions,  "  methinks  the  maid  speaks  truth. 
Now  turn  we  back  to  Stirling  and  cease  this 
sporting,  for  there  are  higher  duties  to  perform. 
Come,  my  lords,  let  us  at  once  muster  a  goodly 
army,  and  march  against  these  bold  sea-wolves 
ere  they  have  gone  too  far." 

But  ere  the  king  had  time  to  do  more  than 
learn  the  extent  of  the  invasions,  Roderic  and 
Magnus  had  returned  to  their  ships.  Alex- 
ander, however,  soon  learned  that  Hakon  him- 
self had  entered  the  Clyde  with  his  armaments, 
and  thereupon  there  ensued  an  interchange  of 
messages  between  the  two  monarchs.  A  truce 
was  agreed  upon  until  terms  might  be  arranged. 
It  was  the  object  of  the  King  of  Scots  to  so  de- 
lay negotiations,  that  every  day  might  give  him 
more  time  to  concentrate  his  army ;  and  as  the 
autumn  was  drawing  to  a  close,  it  brought  the 
Norwegians  a  nearer  prospect  of  wreck  and 
disaster  from  the  winter  storms. 

Alexander  made  such  moderate  demands  that 
it  was  apparent  he  was  not  fully  prepared  to 
resist  the  fleet  and  army  of  Norway.  He  had 
no  standing  army.  He  had  never  been  en- 
gaged in  any  warlike  affair.  He  sent  word  to 
the  Norse  king  signifying  that  he  would  be 
content  to  retain  the  mainland  of  Scotland 
and  the  islands  inclosed  by  it  —  Arran,  Bute, 
and  the  two  Cumbraes  —  and  it  appears  that 


268  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

he  was  willing  to  have  given  up  to  Norway  the 
whole  of  the  isles  of  the  Hebrides.  These 
terms,  so  advantageous  to  Hakon,  were,  fortu- 
nately for  Scotland,  rejected.  The  proud  mas- 
ter of  the  invading  force  would  give  up  nothing 
coming  within  his  claims.  It  then  was  ob- 
served that  Alexander  became  shy  of  further 
treating,  and  that  a  force  was  gradually  collect- 
ing upon  the  heights  overlooking  the  Cunning- 
ham coast. 

Hakon  then  proposed  that  Alexander  should 
meet  him,  each  at  the  head  of  his  army,  and 
treat  concerning  a  peace.  If  the  attempt  at 
negotiation  failed,  then  he  would  throw  down 
the  gauntlet  from  Norway  and  challenge  the 
Scottish  monarch  to  debate  the  matter  with  his 
army  in  the  field,  and  let  God,  in  His  pleasure, 
determine  the  victory. 

Upon  this  Alexander,  in  no  wise  unwilling  to 
fight,  pronounced  the  truce  at  an  end,  and  war 
was  declared. 


CHAPTER    XXVI 

A    TRAITOR    KNAVE 


EARL  KENRIC,  on  seeing  the  outlaw  and 
his  troops  marched  back  in  the  direction 
of   Rothesay,  breathed  a  great  sigh  of   relief. 
The  people  of  Bute  were  so  far  safe;  much 


A    TRAITOR    KNAVE  269 

bloodshed  had  been  avoided.  The  abbot  and 
Elspeth  Blackfell  had  by  their  simple  words 
reversed  the  designs  of  an  army.  So  when  the 
abbot  returned  into  the  walled  inclosure,  Ken- 
ric  took  his  hands  and  reverently  kissed  them. 

"And  now,  holy  father,"  said  he,  "  let  us  all 
offer  thanks  to  God  for  His  great  goodness  at 
this  time  of  our  need,  for  God  alone  can  have 
stayed  the  hands  of  these  ruffians." 

Then  the  abbot  and  his  friars  stood  before 
the  many  children  and  moist-eyed  women  and 
brawny  islanders  who  crowded  into  the  circle, 
and  all  knelt  down  upon  the  grass.  Never 
since  the  gospel  of  Christ  had  been  introduced 
into  that  land  had  prayers  beeii  more  fervently 
uttered. 

In  the  midst  of  the  prayers.  Ailsa  Redmain, 
kneeling  by  Kenric's  side,  suddenly  touched 
him  on  the  shoulder,  and  pointed  over  towards 
the  Arran  hills.  There,  in  the  direction  of 
Ranza,  he  saw  a  great  column  of  black  smoke 
rising  in  the  air. 

"Alas  for  Sir  Piers  de  Currie ! "  he  mur- 
mured, and  then  again  bent  his  head. 

But  when  the  prayers  were  said  Kenric 
quickly  rose  and  climbed  the  thick  wall,  and 
running  with  all  speed  to  Dunagoil  he  ordered 
Allan  Redmain  to  take  two  ships  over  to  Ar- 
ran, for  that  Sir  Piers  de  Currie's  castle  was 
in  flames. 


270  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

Not  long  were  the  two  galleys  in  crossing 
the  sound.  Entering  Loch  Ranza,  they  en- 
trapped three  ships  of  the  Norsemen  that  had 
been  sent  against  the  castle  while  Margad  their 
chief  was  attacking  the  castle  of  Brodick  on 
the  eastern  side  of  the  island.  Attacking  these 
ships,  Allan  Redmain  speedily  put  the  Norse 
warriors  to  the  sword  and  took  their  vessels  as 
prizes. 

On  the  beach  he  found  the  gallant  knight, 
Sir  Piers,  standing  in  the  light  of  the  flames 
that  devoured  his  home.  His  wife  and  six  chil- 
dren were  clinging  to  his  side  piteously  weep- 
ing. His  castle  was  completely  wrecked,  and 
as  there  was  not  another  fit  dwelling  for  many 
miles  around,  Allan  Redmain,  having  driven  off 
the  enemies  who  were  on  shore,  besought  Sir 
Piers  to  bring  his  family  on  board,  and  with 
twelve  brave  men  of  Arran  who  had  escaped, 
he  was  taken  over  to  St.  Blane's  to  such  refuge 
as  there  remained  to  him.  The  beautiful  Lady 
Adela  and  the  Lady  Grace  de  Currie  fell  into 
each  other's  arms,  for  in  the  hour  of  their  ad- 
versity they  were  as  sisters. 

At  the  time  when  Kenric  was  thus  receiving 
his  neighbours  of  Arran,  the  men  whom  Rod- 
eric  had  left  in  charge  of  the  castle  of  Rothesay 
were  making  merry  over  their  victories.  A 
dozen  of  them,  officers  of  the  garrison,  sat  in 
the  great  hall  —  the  hall  in  which  the  good 


A   TRAITOR    KNAVE  27! 

Earl  Hamish  had  met  his  death.  On  the  bare 
board  of  the  table  there  lay  a  cooked  haunch 
of  venison,  with  other  viands  that  had  been 
found  in  the  buttery,  with  many  cakes  of  brown 
bread  and  drinking-horns  filled  with  wine. 
For  these  men  had  not  been  long  in  command 
ere  they  had  broached  more  than  one  wine  cask 
with  casks  of  other  liquors  of  a  stronger  sort, 
and  they  grew  ever  more  noisy  and  more  bois- 
terous, this  one  boasting  of  how  many  dogs  of 
Bute  he  had  slain,  and  that  one  vaunting  that 
he  had  with  his  own  hand  struck  the  stripling 
lord  of  the  island  to  the  ground. 

Often  one  of  them  would  rise  from  the  long 
bench  before  the  fire  and  maul  the  venison  with 
his  blood-stained  hands,  turning  it  over  this 
way  and  that ;  then  taking  his  sword,  which 
had  been  used  that  day  for  a  very  different  pur- 
pose, he  would  cut  off  a  great  slice  of  the  meat, 
and  spreading  a  layer  of  salt  upon  it,  clap  it 
between  two  cakes  of  bread  and  sit  down  to 
enjoy  the  food.  In  eating,  drinking,  and  sing- 
ing wild  battle  songs,  these  warriors  passed  that 
evening,  each  thinking  himself  a  king.  Some 
of  the  men  were  wounded,  but  little  did  they 
seem  to  care ;  nay,  many  a  one  even  proudly 
displayed  his  bleeding  cuts,  to  prove  how  sorely 
bestead  he  had  been  in  the  fight,  and  the  man 
who  had  the  greatest  show  of  wounds  was 
looked  upon  almost  with  envy.  To  be  wounded 


272  THE   THIRSTY    SWORD 

was  next  to  being  slain,  and  to  be  slain  on  the 
field  of  battle  was  the  most  glorious  death  a 
man  might  die. 

"  Well,  my  brothers-in-arms,"  at  length  said 
one  who  appeared  to  be  their  captain,  "  'tis  a 
good  day's  work  that  we  have  done.  So  let  us 
drink  and  be  merry.  Here's  waes-hael  to  King 
Rudri  of  Bute.  Long  life  to  him  ! " 

Then  the  men  took  up  their  drinking-horns 
and  drank  deep  to  the  last  drop.  But  two  there 
were  who  drank  not  at  all,  and  they  were  men 
of  Colonsay. 

"  Why  drink  ye  not  with  me  ?  "  growled  the 
captain,  frowning. 

"  Because,  Thorolf,"  said  one  with  flashing 
eye,  "  I  am  but  ill-content  with  the  way  that 
Rudri  broke  his  plighted  word  to  us.  When 
we  set  out  on  this  journey,  was  it  that  we  should 
but  help  him  to  gain  his  father's  island?  No. 
Did  he  not  solemnly  swear  that  he  would  give 
us  our  full  meed  of  vengeance  upon  the  whelp 
who  massacred  our  children  ?  And  what  man 
of  us  has  had  that  chance?  Blood  for  blood, 
say  I ! " 

"And  so  say  I,"  muttered  his  companion. 
"  Methought  when  we  came  here  that  I  should 
have  the  chance  of  driving  my  spear  into  a  full 
halfscore  of  the  children  of  Bute  —  that  I  might 
have  served  them  even  as  the  stripling  Kenric 
served  my  little  ones.  Saint  Olaf  curse  him !  " 


A   TRAITOR    KNAVE  273 

"  It  baffles  me,"  said  the  first,  "  to  know  by 
what  means  the  women  and  children  of  this  isle 
have  been  spirited  away.  Not  since  we  landed 
yestermorn  have  I  so  much  as  seen  a  living 
child,  nor  woman  neither,  saving  only  that  old 
witch." 

"Ay,  and  the  fighting  maid  who  cut  me  this 
wound  across  my  pate,"  added  another.  "  Me- 
thinks  this  Kenric  must  surely  have  got  wind 
of  our  intention ;  but  how  that  can  be,  what 
man  can  tell  ?  " 

"  What  then  of  the  thing  we  found  on  the 
moor  of  Gigha,  after  the  council  that  King 
Hakon  held  ? "  asked  Thorolf  the  captain. 
"  What  man  would  have  slain  the  young  Harald 
of  Islay  if  it  were  not  some  spy  of  Bute  ?  The 
lad  was  stabbed  through  the  back ;  'twas  in  no 
fair  fight  that  he  fell." 

"  True,"  said  they  all.  "  By  Saint  Olaf,  that 
is  surely  so  !  " 

"  Could  we  find  out  in  Rudri's  absence  where 
these  babes  and  wives  of  Bute  have  been  so 
cunningly  hidden,"  said  one  of  the  men  of 
Colonsay,  "methinks  we  might  well  pay  out 
both  Rudri  and  young  Kenric.  What  say  you, 
my  bold  brothers  all  ?  " 

"  Tis  my  belief,"  said  another,  "  that  the  old 
witch  who  spoke  to  Earl  Roderic  had  some 
secret  intention  in  turning  us  away  from  yon 
chapel  at  the  end  of  the  island." 


2/4  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

At  this  the  men  were  silent ;  but  at  last  one 
said: 

"  I'd  swear  that  it  was  even  so.  And  what 
say  you  all  if  we  go  thence  this  very  night  and 
fall  upon  the  chapel  with  fire  and  sword  ?  'Tis 
a  straight  road  from  this,  and  easily  found." 

At  this  moment  there  were  footsteps  in  the 
outer  corridor.  Three  men  entered,  dragging 
with  them  yet  another  who  was  bound  with 
ropes.  Their  prisoner  was  David  Blair,  the 
farmer  of  Scalpsie.  He  had  been  captured, 
hiding  like  a  frightened  cur,  among  the  rocks 
of  Ascog. 

The  Norse  captain,  who  could  speak  the 
Gaelic,  on  learning  who  he  was,  commanded 
him,  on  pain  of  instant  death,  to  tell  where 
Kenric  of  Bute  had  taken  the  women  and  chil- 
dren. The  farmer  hesitated  a  moment ;  then, 
seeing  the  captain  draw  his  sword,  he  gasped  : 

"  Oh,  spare  me,  spare  me,  my  lord  !  Give  me 
but  my  life,  and  I  will  tell  you  all.  I  will  tell 
you  where  you  may  find  these  people,  and  how 
you  can  get  at  them.  But,  since  death  is  the 
punishment  wherewith  you  threaten  my  silence, 
tell  me,  then,  what  shall  be  my  reward  if  I  tell 
you  this  you  ask  ?  " 

The  captain  smiled  grimly.  Then  in  Danish 
he  said : 

"  You  base  inhuman  craven !  you  ask  what 
reward  I  will  give  you  ?  Methinks  the  only 


A   TRAITOR    KNAVE  275 

fitting  reward  for  such  treachery  were  to  have 
a  cauldron  of  boiling  lead  poured  down  your 
guilty  throat.  Reward,  forsooth  !  " 

"  Nay,  but  I  cannot  understand,  my  mas- 
ter. I  am  but  a  poor  Scot  who  knows  not 
the  Norse  tongue.  Say,  what  reward  do  you 
promise  ? " 

"  Fear  not,  my  man.  You  shall  have  your 
deserts,"  said  the  captain.  "  Tell  me,  now,  or  I 
will  even  cut  you  down  this  instant  where  you 
stand  trembling." 

"  The  families  of  Bute — men,  women,  bairns 
—  are  all  in  the  abbey  of  St.  Blane's,"  said 
Blair.  "  They  are  penned  up  like  a  vast  flock 
of  sheep  in  the  abbey  and  the  chapel,  in  the 
chapel  vaults,  and  within  the  walls  of  the  Circle 
of  Penance.  There  you  will  find  them,  with  my 
lady  Adela  of  Rothesay,  and  young  Kenric 
himself,  and  Allan  Redmain  that  murdered  my 
poor  dog  —  " 

"  Enough  !  "  cried  the  captain  sternly,  "  and 
now  for  your  reward."  Then  turning  to  one 
of  the  men  who  had  brought  in  the  captive,  he 
added :  "  Hundi,  this  man  is  a  traitor,  and  as  a 
traitor  he  must  now  be  served.  You  will  there- 
fore conduct  him  to  the  topmost  towers  of  the 
castle,  and  taking  the  rope  that  now  binds  him, 
you  will  tie  a  shipman's  noose  about  his  neck 
and  let  him  hang  in  mid-air,  that  the  carrion 


276  THE   THIRSTY   SWORD 

crows  may  taste  the  flesh  of  one  of  the  meanest 
cowards  in  the  isles." 

Then,  as  the  farmer  was  taken  away  to  his 
death,  Thorolf  the  captain  paced  the  floor 
moodily,  speaking  not  a  word. 

"  What  said  this  man,  Thorolf  ? "  asked  one 
of  his  comrades.  "  Come,  tell  us  where  we  may 
find  these  people." 

"  That  will  I  tell  to  no  man  !  "  said  Thorolf 
firmly,  "  and  as  I  am  captain  here,  these  are  my 
orders :  that  if  any  man  seek  to  discover  where 
these  families  are  now  harboured,  or  if  any  man 
does  aught  to  further  molest  the  people  of  Bute, 
he  may  expect  a  reward  equal  to  that  of  the 
traitor  who  has  now  gone  to  meet  his  deserved 
death.  There  are  ropes  in  Rothesay  for  all 
who  dare  to  disobey  me  !  " 

"  Coward !  "  muttered  one  of  the  men  of  Col- 
onsay,  rising  and  passing  out  of  the  hall,  "  think 
you  that  you  alone  could  understand  that  man? 
I  heard  his  answer,  and  by  my  sword,  I  mean  to 
act  upon  it;"  and  thereupon  they  all  stood  up 
and  followed,  taking  their  arms  and  leaving 
Thorolf  alone  beside  the  fire. 

Later  on  that  evening,  when  Sir  Piers  de 
Currie  with  the  friars  of  St.  Blane's  were  sitting 
quiet  in  the  abbey  refectory,  when  the  Lady 
Adela  and  the  mothers  of  Bute  were  busy  put- 
ting the  little  ones  to  sleep,  Earl  Kenric  was 
walking  to  and  fro  in  front  of  the  gate  of  the 


A    TRAITOR    KNAVE  277 

Circle  of  Penance.  He  carried  his  naked  sword 
in  his  arms,  and  he  wore  the  heavy  chain- 
armour  that  had  not  been  put  aside  for  four 
long  days.  He  was  very  weary,  for  he  had  had 
a  long  day's  fighting,  and  no  sleep  had  he  known 
since  the  night  of  his  adventure  in  Gigha. 

He  was  thinking  now  of  all  that  had  passed, 
and  of  the  many  men,  his  companions  and  faith- 
ful vassals,  who  now  lay  dead.  Also  he  was 
wondering  what  had  become  of  the  wild  girl 
Aasta.  She  had  done  many  things  for  which 
he  owed  her  deep  gratitude.  Not  only  had  she 
given  him  the  great  sword  of  Somerled,  with 
which  he  had  done  so  much  in  defence  of  his 
people ;  but  it  was  she  who  had  warned  him  of 
the  coming  of  the  enemy ;  it  was  she  who  had 
gone  over  with  him  to  Gigha,  and  made  it  pos- 
sible for  him  to  learn  the  plans  of  the  Norse- 
men. (She  had  there  saved  his  life,  though 
Kenric  knew  it  not.)  It  was  she  who  had  told 
him  that  the  great  pirate  Rudri  was  his  own 
evil  uncle  Roderic.  He  was  accordingly  much 
concerned  for  her  safety,  and  much  troubled  in 
his  fear  of  what  had  happened  to  her. 

Suddenly,  in  the  midst  of  his  musing,  some- 
one passed  him  like  a  rush  of  wind.  In  the 
dim  evening  light  he  saw  Ailsa  Redmain. 

"  Ailsa !  "  he  cried,  "  where  go  you  ?  Why 
do  you  thus  come  out  here  where  you  know 
full  well  that  none  but  men  may  come?  " 


278  THE   THIRSTY    SWORD 

"My  lord,"  said  she,  "it  is  little  Ronald 
Campbell  that  I  seek,  and  his  sister  Rachel. 
We  cannot  find  them,  and  they  have  not  been 
seen  by  anyone  since  evensong.  Methinks 
.they  must  have  crept  under  the  gate  and  so 
wandered  into  the  grove." 

"  Are  there  no  men  who  could  seek  the  chil- 
dren as  well  as  you  ?  Go  back,  Ailsa,  and  let 
me  seek." 

But  as  he  spoke,  he  heard  the  sound  of  chil- 
dren's laughter  from  among  the  birch-trees, 
and,  believing  that  Ailsa  was  turning  back,  he 
ran  forward  towards  the  woods. 

Now  little  Ronald  Campbell  was  the  same 
who  had  picked  up  Earl  Kenric's  gauntlet  on 
the  day  of  his  throning  on  the  Great  Plain. 
Scarcely  had  Kenric  entered  the  grove  when 
the  laughter  he  had  heard  was  changed  into  a 
scream  of  terror.  Little  Ronald,  dragging  his 
sister  by  the  hand,  came  running  towards  him, 
pursued  by  a  score  of  savage  Norsemen.  Ken- 
ric was  about  to  snatch  up  the  children  in  his 
arms  when  he  saw  it  was  too  late.  The  Norse- 
men were  upon  him.  He  gripped  his  sword 
and  stood  his  ground.  At  the  same  moment 
Ailsa  Redmain  brushed  past  him  and  took  the 
little  Ronald  by  the  hand.  One  of  the  men  of 
Colonsay  darted  forward,  levelling  his  spear, 
and  with  its  sharp  point  caught  the  little 
Rachel.  The  child  fell  down,  and  the  spear 


A    TRAITOR    KNAVE  279 

was  but  caught  in  her  woollen  frock.  In  an 
instant  Kenric  had  leapt  forward,  swinging  his 
sword  in  air.  His  heavy  blade  crashed  into 
the  man's  skull.  Then  other  twenty  men  sur- 
rounded Kenric,  menacing  him  and  pressing 
forward  to  reach  the  children  he  defended.  A 
man  of  Colonsay  caught  Ailsa  by  her  hand, 
and  with  his  dagger  was  about  to  take  her  life. 
With  a  great  cry  of  furious  rage  Kenric  sprang 
upon  him  and  felled  him. 

Closer  still  the  Norsemen  pressed  in  upon 
him.  But  Ailsa  lay  down  at  his  feet  with  the 
two  little  ones  clasped  tightly  in  her  arms,  pro- 
tecting them  as  a  moor-hen  protects  her  chicks 
under  the  cover  of  her  spreading  wings.  Ken- 
ric, sweeping  his  blade  from  right  to  left,  felled 
every  man  who  came  within  a  couple  of  paces 
of  Ailsa,  until  at  last  the  yelling  warriors  drew 
back,  leaving  the  young  earl  standing  in  the 
midst  of  a  circle  of  dead  men,  with  Ailsa  and 
the  two  children  still  unscathed. 

Then  as  the  enemy,  reinforced  by  many  of 
their  comrades  from  among  the  trees,  and  rank- 
ing themselves  shoulder  to  shoulder,  drew  in 
again,  suddenly  a  shower  of  arrows  poured 
upon  them,  and  a  troop  of  the  men  of  Bute 
rushed  forward  from  their  ambush. 

From  another  direction  a  warrior  on  horse- 
back appeared  and  crashed  in  among  the  Norse- 
men, felling  them  with  mighty  strokes  of  his 


280  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

heavy  battle-axe.  Then  followed  such  a  slaugh- 
ter of  the  Norsemen  that  in  a  few  minutes  not 
one  was  left  alive.  The  warrior  on  horseback 
threw  his  battle-axe  upon  the  ground,  and  draw- 
ing rein,  sat  upon  his  saddle  with  folded  arms, 
and  Kenric  saw  by  his  armour  that  he  too  was 
one  of  the  enemy,  and  he  marvelled  much. 

The  men  of  Bute  were  now  eager  to  make 
an  end  of  that  stranger,  for  they  thought  that 
he  was  the  leader  of  the  men  who  had  thus 
attempted  to  surprise  the  guard  and  make 
inroads  upon  the  abbey.  But,  seeing  the  man 
sitting  so  calm  upon  his  horse  and  unarmed, 
they  lowered  their  weapons. 

This  stranger  horseman  was  Thorolf  the 
captain,  who  had  followed  his  rebel  guards  with 
intent  to  intercept  them. 

"  Young  man,"  said  he  to  Kenric,  "  I  know 
not  who  you  are,  but  by  the  circle  of  dead 
men  now  lying  about  you,  and  by  the  prowess 
whereby  you  have  saved  the  lives  of  these  three 
children,  I  judge  that  you  can  be  none  other 
than  the  young  king  of  Bute." 

"  That,  sir,  is  so,"  said  Kenric,  wiping  his 
sword  upon  a  mossy  stone  and  sheathing  it. 
"And  who  are  you,  my  master  ? " 

"  The  captain    of   these  rebel  scoundrels  - 
Thorolf  Sigurdson  of  Benbecula,"  said  the  war- 
rior, uncovering  his  head  of  ruddy  curls.     "  I 
have  been  left  warden  of  the  castle  of  Rothe- 


A   TRAITOR    KNAVE  28 1 

say  by  Rudri  Alpinson ;  and  now  do  I  swear 
on  mine  honour,  my  lord,  that  this  matter  that 
hath  just  befallen  is  none  of  my  doings,  for 
I  would  fain  have  prevented  it.  But  'tis  but 
an  hour  ago  that  one  of  your  islanders  was 
brought  in  a  prisoner  to  Rothesay,  and  it  was 
he  who  betrayed  the  harbourage  of  your  peo- 
ple." 

"  Who  was  that  man  ? "  asked  Kenric  with 
wrathful  voice. 

"  His  name,  my  lord,  was  David  Blair.  He  is 
now,  for  his  betrayal,  dangling  at  a  rope's  end 
from  the  western  tower  of  Rothesay  Castle." 

"  Well  have  you  served  him,"  said  Kenric ; 
"  and  now  for  your  courtesy  I  thank  you,  Tho- 
rolf  Sigurdson." 

Then  Kenric  bade  Ailsa  Redmain  return 
with  the  two  children  to  the  abbey. 

"  And  now,"  he  added,  turning  to  the  cap- 
tain, "  since  you  are  here  I  would  beseech  you 
to  grant  me  a  few  days'  truce,  that  we  may 
have  time  to  bury  our  dead." 

"  For  the  matter  of  that,"  said  Thorolf,  "  I 
would  willingly  extend  the  truce  until  the 
return  of  Rudri.  For  there  are,  if  I  mistake 
not,  many  matters  to  attend  to  beyond  the 
burial  of  the  slain.  The  men  of  Colonsay,  as  I 
hear,  have  played  sad  havoc  with  your  home- 
steads, and  it  were  well  that  these  were  put 
again  into  decent  repair." 


282  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

"  Your  terms  are  more  favourable  than  I  had 
hoped  for,"  said  Kenric,  "  and  I  well  see  that 
you  are  a  man  of  honour." 

"My  lord,"  said  Thorolf,  "  much  do  I  com- 
mend and  admire  you  for  what  you  have  done 
in  protecting  your  islanders.  That  protection, 
I  do  assure  you,  was  much  needed,  for  had  your 
people  remained  in  their  homes  not  one  of 
them  would  now  have  been  alive.  But  I  swear 
that  they  are  henceforth  safe  from  all  further 
peril.  And  now,  for  my  own  curiosity  alone,  I 
would  ask  you  how  it  happened  that  you  were 
so  timely  warned  of  the  danger  that  threatened 
you,  my  lord  ? " 

Kenric  told  how  William  MacAlpin  had 
come  to  Bute,  and  how  he  himself  had  spied 
upon  the  council  of  King  Hakon  in  Gigha. 

"  Ah,  then,  'twas  you  who  slew  the  young  son 
of  John  of  Islay  ? "  cried  Thorolf,  though  not 
in  anger.  "  The  lad  was  found  dead  on  the 
very  rock  you  speak  of." 

"Not  so,"  said  Kenric;  "I  slew  him  not. 
And  'tis  now  for  the  first  time  I  hear  that  he 
is  dead." 

"  But  you  had  companions  ?  " 

"A  girl  was  indeed  with  me.  But — ah, 
surely  Aasta  cannot  have  done  this  thing  ?  " 

"Aasta?  That  is  a  Norse  name.  Well, 'tis 
no  business  of  mine,"  said  the  captain  ;  "  and 
now  will  I  return  to  Rothesay  well  content 


THE    BATTLE    OF    LARGS  283 

that  your  people  have  received  no  greater  in- 
juries than  they  now  suffer  at  the  hands  of  my 
friends  your  enemies.  Give  you  good-night, 
my  lord." 

"  By  my  faith,  a  right  honest  man ! "  said 
Kenric  as  Thorolf  rode  away. 

"And  a  good  Christian,  if  I  mistake  not," 
said  the  abbot,  who  had  heard  the  conver- 
sation. 

"Ay,  and  a  gallant  soldier  to  boot,"  added 
Allan  Redmain.  "  But  for  his  turning  upon 
those  ruffians,  methinks  it  would  have  gone 
ill  with  Kenric  and  my  sister  Ailsa." 

"  God  be  thanked  for  our  escape,"  mur- 
mured the  abbot.  "  And  now,  if  Roderic  and 
his  crew  come  not  back  over  soon,  all  may  yet 
go  well  with  us.  At  sunrise  we  will  all  set 
forth  with  picks  and  shovels  and  give  a  true 
Christian  burial  to  both  friend  and  foe  alike. 
And  God  rest  their  souls,  one  and  all." 


CHAPTER   XXVII 

THE    BATTLE    OF    LARGS 


TWO  weeks  of  gloomy  weather  passed,  with 
clouded  skies  and  fitful  winds.      During 
that  time  nothing  was  heard  in  Bute  of  either 


284  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

Roderic  the  Rover  or  King  Hakon  of  Norway. 
Kenric  and  his  men,  with  the  priests  of  St. 
Blane's,  made  busy  work  in  burying  the  dead. 
Also,  they  got  all  their  shipmen  and  fishers, 
farm-workers  and  shepherds,  to  build  up  the 
devastated  cottages  and  farmsteads,  and  one 
by  one  these  dwellings  again  received  their 
wonted  inmates.  The  villages  of  Rothesay, 
Ardbeg,  Kames,  Ascog,  and  other  settlements 
in  the  island  had  been  roughly  handled  by 
the  invaders,  and  many  farms  had  been  de- 
spoiled. But  for  the  greater  part  the  shells 
of  the  houses  had  been  left  standing,  and 
there  were  many  hands  to  make  light  work 
of  restoring  them. 

The  Lady  Adela  of  Rothesay,  Lady  Grace 
de  Currie,  Ailsa  Redmain,  and  the  women  of 
Rothesay  Castle  took  up  their  quarters  in  the 
nunnery  attached  to  the  barony  of  St.  Blane's, 
for  none  would  return  to  the  castle  while  yet  a 
Norseman  remained  therein ;  and  Kenric  had 
passed  his  word  that  he  would  not  attempt  to 
regain  possession  of  his  stronghold  until  the 
kings  of  Norway  and  Scotland  had  settled  their 
dispute. 

On  the  last  day  of  September  Sir  Piers  de 
Currie,  Kenric,  and  Allan  —  now  Sir  Allan 
Redmain,  for  the  knighthood  of  Scotland  was 
hereditary  —  were  walking  over  from  Ascog, 
when,  looking  towards  the  seaboard  between 


THE    BATTLE    OF    LARGS  285 

Arran  and  the  Cumbraes,  they  observed  a 
great  fleet  of  ships,  with  many  flags  flying 
from  their  masts,  making  across  the  Clyde. 
A  hundred  and  fifty  war-galleys  there  were 
in  all. 

"  The  saints  protect  us !  "  cried  Allan.  "  What 
means  all  this  ?  " 

"'Tis  even  as  I  expected,"  said  Kenric. 
"  They  are  the  ships  of  Hakon  of  Norway, 
who  now  intends  to  invade  the  mainland." 

"  Then,  if  this  be  indeed  so,"  said  Sir  Piers, 
"  methinks  it  is  now  our  place  to  be  following 
under  the  banner  of  our  sovereign.  Too  long 
have  we  already  delayed.  To  your  ships, 
Kenric !  To  your  ships  this  very  hour !  Muster 
your  men  and  let  us  at  once  hasten  over  to 
Cunningham,  for,  if  I  mistake  not,  King  Alex- 
ander must  even  now  be  marching  to  the  coast. 
'Tis  but  small  help  that  we  can  offer,  but  let  it 
not  be  said  that  we  shirked  our  duty  in  the 
hour  of  Scotland's  need." 

"  Go,  Sir  Allan,"  said  Kenric,  "hasten  to  the 
headland  of  Garroch  and  there  blow  me  on 
your  horn  the  call  to  arms.  Not  long  will  our 
men  be  in  answering  that  summons.  And  now, 
Sir  Piers,  to  you  do  I  resign  the  command  of 
our  forces.  Give  us  your  directions  and  we 
will  promptly  obey." 

"  Let  every  man  who  can  draw  a  long-bow, 
or  wield  pike  or  sword,  be  sent  upon  the  ships," 


286  THE   THIRSTY    SWORD 

said  the  knight.  "  At  noon,  when  the  tide  is 
at  the  half-flood,  we  set  sail  for  Gourock." 

"  Gourock  ?  " 

"  Even  so.  The  bay  of  Gourock  is  our  best 
shelter,  and  thence  we  can  march  southward 
towards  Largs,  or  to  whatsoever  spot  the  enemy 
determine  to  make  their  landing-place." 

"  'Tis  well,"  said  Kenric. 

"And  furnish  me  with  the  best  horse  you  can 
find,"  added  Sir  Piers,  "for  'tis  on  horseback 
that  I  would  fight." 

So  at  noon  that  day  seven  galleys  hove 
anchor  in  the  bay  of  Kilchattan,  with  each  a 
company  of  sevenscore  men ;  in  all  a  thousand 
gallant  islanders  sailed  that  day  from  Bute. 
Creeping  up  the  shores  of  the  island,  past 
Kerrycroy  and  Ascog,  they  steered  across 
by  Toward  Point.  And  by  this  time  the  fleet 
of  King  Hakon  had  disappeared  into  the 
channel  that  flows  between  the  two  Cumbrae 
islands. 

As  Kenric's  ships  crossed  the  Clyde  a  driz- 
zling rain  came  on,  and  the  wind  began  to 
blow  in  fitful  gusts  from  the  south-west.  But 
they  reached  the  safe  harbour  of  Gourock 
without  mishap,  and  there  cast  anchor.  That 
night  the  half-moon  that  shone  dimly  through 
the  scudding  clouds  lay  on  her  back,  with  a 
great  circle  of  light  around  her,  betokening 
stormy  weather. 


THE    BATTLE    OF    LARGS  287 

The  next  morning,  which  was  the  ist  of 
October,  was  cold  and  windy.  Sir  Piers 
ordered  his  troops  ashore,  leaving  but  a  few 
shipmen  to  watch  the  galleys.  Landing 
amidst  a  shower  of  heavy  hail  he  was  met  by 
a  party  of  mounted  Scots  clad  in  complete 
mail,  who  told  him  that  King  Alexander  had 
already  started  from  Lanark  with  fifteen  hun- 
dred mounted  men-at-arms. 

Sir  Piers  marshalled  his  islanders  in  order 
and  gave  the  word  to  march,  and  ever  as 
they  moved  southward  they  were  joined  by 
the  villagers  and  parties  of  sturdy  fighting 
men. 

Kenric  and  Allan,  with  Duncan  Graham  at 
their  side,  marched  afoot,  for  both  were  wont 
to  feel  ill  at  ease  in  the  saddle.  Nevertheless 
Allan  cast  many  an  envious  glance  at  the 
gallant  knight  who  led  them.  Sir  Piers  was 
clothed  in  the  most  beautiful  suit  of  armour 
that  had  ever  been  seen  in  that  time.  His 
horse  was  a  powerful  Spanish  jennet  that  had 
belonged  to  Earl  Hamish  of  Bute,  and  it  was 
protected  by  a  heavy  breastplate  and  flank 
armour.  The  rider  was  splendidly  armed  from 
head  to  foot,  his  helm  and  coat  of  mail  being 
inlaid  with  gold.  At  his  left  side  there  hung  a 
long  claymore,  longer  by  three  inches  than 
Kenric's  great  sword.  In  his  right  hand  he 
held  a  ponderous  battle-axe  of  solid  brass,  and 


288  THE   THIRSTY    SWORD 

from  his  pommel  there  hung  a  spiked  mace 
whose  head  was  as  large  as  the  head  of  a  man. 
His  belt  was  studded  with  precious  stones. 
Not  in  all  his  army  had  King  Alexander  a 
stronger  or  nobler  warrior  than  Sir  Piers  de 
Currie  ;  nor  had  he  one,  either  strong  or  weak, 
who  had  a  deeper  hatred  against  the  Norse 
invaders,  for  they  had  burnt  down  his  castle  of 
Ranza,  and  by  them  had  his  own  uncle's  castle 
of  Brodick  been  razed  to  the  ground  and  his 
uncle  slain.  He  was  to  fight  that  day  for  his 
beautiful  wife  and  his  children,  for  the  posses- 
sion of  his  estates,  for  his  revenge  against  his 
enemies,  and  for  his  King  and  country;  and 
none  who  saw  him  could  have  doubted  that 
he  would  prove  a  most  valiant  and  powerful 
antagonist. 

Kenric  had  on  his  crested  helm  of  brass,  and 
wore  a  shirt  of  steel  mail.  His  knees  and  arms 
were  bare,  showing  his  firm  muscles  and  the 
sun-tanned  skin;  on  his  feet  he  wore  buskins 
of  double  hide,  and  his  legs  were  protected  by 
brass  greaves.  Over  his  back  his  long  bow 
was  slung  beside  his  full  arrow  sheaf.  At  his 
right  side  was  his  dirk,  at  his  left  the  sword  of 
Somerled.  On  his  arm  he  carried  a  small 
round  shield  studded  with  nails,  though  this 
was  more  an  encumbrance  than  a  defence, 
since  his  sword  required  the  use  of  his  two 
hands,  and  the  shield  might  only  be  employed 


THE    BATTLE    OF    LARGS  289 

as  a  protection  against  arrows  fired  from  a 
distance. 

Sir  Allan  Redmain  was  attired  in  like  man- 
ner. As  to  their  islanders,  some  few  of  them 
of  the  better  condition  —  as  Duncan  Graham 
and  Ronald  Gray  —  wore  shirts  of  mail,  but 
the  larger  number,  so  far  from  desiring  armour 
when  they  came  to  close  quarters  with  the 
enemy,  even  threw  their  plaids  aside  and  fought 
in  their  shirts,  bare-legged,  bare-armed,  bare- 
headed. Many  of  them  carried  bows  and 
arrows ;  all  had  either  claymores  or  pole-axes, 
with  daggers  and  targets. 

They  had  marched  some  ten  miles  southward 
through  the  sheltered  glens  of  Noddsdale, 
when,  mounting  to  the  ridge  of  the  range  of 
hills  that  rise  above  the  shores  of  Cunningham, 
they  were  met  by  a  keen  icy  wind  from  the 
south-west.  Below  them  stretched  the  wide 
Firth  of  Clyde,  turbulent,  angry  with  foam- 
capped  waves.  Far  across  the  water  rose  the 
giant  mountains  of  Arran,  with  their  tattered 
peaks  frowning  in  dark-blue  blackness  against 
the  leaden  sky,  and  through  a  rent  in  the 
clouds  a  long  beam  of  sunshine  shot,  slanting 
down  for  a  moment  upon  the  soft  green  hills 
of  Bute.  On  the  nearer  side  were  the  two 
islands  of  Cumbrae,  with  a  strip  of  gray  sea 
between  them,  where  lay  the  storm-tossed 
galleys  of  King  Hakon  the  Old. 


290  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

These  ships,  which  during  the  night  had 
taken  shelter  in  the  harbour  that  is  now  named 
Millport  Bay,  were  already  making  for  the 
shores  of  the  mainland  below  the  village  of 
Largs,  for  it  was  at  this  point  that  the  Norse 
king  had  determined  to  land  his  invading 
forces. 

Largs  was  not  a  spot  which  a  modern  gen- 
eral would  have  chosen  for  an  invasion.  It 
was  ill  suited  for  troops  forming  in  strength 
after  landing.  There  is  a  narrow  strip  of  level 
ground,  with  bluffs  rising  right  up  from  it. 
Troops  marching  along  this  strip,  either  north 
or  south,  would  be  flanked  by  the  higher 
ground  for  many  miles.  To  attempt  to  pass 
through  any  of  the  ravines  which  pierce  the 
range  of  hills  would  have  been  perilous. 
Nevertheless  Hakon  had  chosen  this  landing- 
place. 

"  Methinks,"  said  Sir  Piers  de  Currie,  as  he 
watched  the  Norse  galleys  battling  with  the 
waves,  "  that  our  work  is  already  half  accom- 
plished. Should  the  wind  rise  yet  higher  no 
easy  task  will  Hakon  find  it  to  land  his  men  on 
that  lee  shore." 

"  Had  I  been  he,"  said  Kenric,  "  it  is  not 
thus  that  I  would  have  lingered  among  the 
isles  ere  I  made  a  descent  upon  the  mainland. 
Had  Hakon  pressed  onward  with  all  his  forces, 
instead  of  despatching  a  squadron  here  and  a 


THE    BATTLE    OF    LARGS  2QI 

squadron  there  for  useless  plundering,  had  he 
made  straight  for  Scotland  while  yet  the  fair 
weather  continued,  and  while  yet  King  Alex- 
ander was  unaware  of  his  approach,  he  might 
even  have  made  a  successful  conquest.  But 
look  eastward  yonder  across  the  hills  at  the 
fair  troop  of  Scots  advancing  in  battle  array. 
Look  down  upon  the  plain  of  Largs,  where  a 
good  two  thousand  men  are  waiting  ready. 
Soon  will  King  Alexander  himself  be  here 
with  his  cavalry  from  Lanark.  By  my  faith, 
the  Norseman  will  have  a  warmer  welcome 
than  he  looks  for ! " 

"  Let  us  then  hasten  downward,"  said  Sir 
Piers,  "  that  we  may  have  a  taste  of  the  battle 
before  the  elements  have  entirely  robbed  us  of 
our  foe." 

Troop  after  troop  of  Scots  marched  onward 
toward  Largs.  From  Ayr  they  came,  from 
Renfrew,  Dumbarton,  Stirling,  Turnberry,  and 
many  another  stronghold  that  had  been  warned 
of  the  enemy's  nearness  by  means  of  beacon 
fires  on  the  highest  hilltops. 

But  of  the  forces  that  were  making  ready  to 
meet  them  the  Norsemen  knew  little.  They 
were  at  present  too  much  engaged  in  attending 
to  the  safety  of  their  ships,  and  not  any  of 
them  could  make  a  landing  that  day.  The 
wind  rose  higher,  the  tempest  increased  in 
fury,  and  at  nightfall  there  came  a  deluging 


292  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

storm  of  hail  and  rain  which  continued  until 
late  next  morning.  For  this  the  Scots  cared 
little.  Curling  themselves  up  with  their  plaids 
about  them  they  slept  soundly  upon  the 
heather,  undisturbed  by  the  howling  of  the 
wind  and  the  raging  of  the  waves  upon  the  rocky 
shore.  But  with  the  invaders  it  was  far  from 
being  such  an  easy  matter.  Their  anchors 
dragged.  Many  vessels  had  to  have  their 
masts  cut  away.  King  Hakon's  own  gallant 
ship,  although  secured  by  seven  anchors,  was 
driven  from  her  moorings,  and  five  galleys  were 
cast  ashore. 

And  now  when  the  tempest  seemed  to 
threaten  the  total  destruction  of  their  enemies, 
a  mixed  multitude  of  armed  Scots  on  the  sur- 
rounding heights  watched  every  movement  of 
the  Norwegian  fleet,  ready  to  take  instant  ad- 
vantage of  its  distress.  So,  when  the  five  gal- 
leys with  their  armed  shipmen  were  driven 
ashore,  Sir  Piers  de  Currie  and  the  men  of 
Bute  rushed  down  from  the  heights  and  at- 
tacked the  stranded  vessels.  Whereupon  the 
Norsemen  defended  themselves  with  great 
gallantry. 

The  rest  of  the  fleet  were  presently  seen 
beating  up  the  channel  towards  Largs,  and,  as 
the  tempest  had  lulled,  reinforcements  soon 
landed  in  such  numbers  that  the  Scots  were 
forced  to  retire  towards  the  heights. 


THE    BATTLE    OF    LARGS  293 

At  sunrise  King  Hakon  himself  came  ashore 
with  a  force  of  three  thousand  men,  ordering  an 
advance  towards  the  higher  ground.  At  the  mo- 
ment when  the  marching  order  was  given  the 
army  of  King  Alexander  appeared  upon  the 
hilltop.  The  sun's  rays  breaking  through 
the  ragged  clouds  sparkled  upon  spears  and 
cuirasses.  The  cavalry  made  a  noble  appear- 
ance. Most  of  them  were  knights  and  barons 
from  the  neighbouring  counties,  armed  from 
head  to  heel,  and  mounted  on  Spanish  horses 
which  were  clothed  in  complete  armour.  With 
this  troop  of  fifteen  hundred  horsemen  was  a 
vast  body  of  foot-soldiers. 

Seeing  all  this,  Sir  Piers  de  Currie  no  longer 
hesitated  to  renew  his  engagement.  Rallying 
his  men  he  began  to  skirmish  with  the  advance 
of  the  Danes  and  Norwegians.  He  pressed  on 
both  flanks  with  so  much  fury  that,  fearing  they 
would  be  cut  to  pieces  —  as  many  were  —  the 
enemy  began  a  retreat  which  soon  changed  into 
a  flight.  King  Hakon  and  many  of  his  best 
fighting  men  scrambled  into  the  boats  and 
pushed  off  into  the  safety  of  the  deeper  water, 
regaining  their  ships. 

Everything  now  depended  upon  the  landing 
of  reinforcements.  But  at  this  critical  moment 
a  violent  storm  of  hail  came  on ;  the  wind  rose 
again  with  such  strength  that  it  completed  the 
ruin  of  many  of  the  ships.  In  the  midst  of  the 


294  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

fighting  on  land  there  was  a  still  more  furious 
battle  upon  the  waves.  Galley  after  galley  was 
driven  upon  the  rocks,  and  their  crews  had  little 
spirit  for  meeting  their  overpowering  enemies. 
Between  the  anger  of  the  elements  and  the 
ceaseless  showers  of  arrows  from  the  Scots, 
their  army  was  greatly  distressed.  Their  lead- 
ers, too,  began  to  desert  them,  and  in  their 
frantic  efforts  to  escape  they  overcrowded  the 
boats,  many  of  which  went  down.  Sir  Piers  de 
Currie  now  drew  up  his  men  in  line  on  the  hill- 
side, and  left  them  in  charge  of  Allan  Redmain 
and  Kenric.  Then  he  rode  to  meet  the  King, 
whose  troops  had  by  this  time  descended  to  the 
level  ground. 

"So,  then,  Sir  Piers,"  said  Alexander,  whose 
tall  figure,  as  he  sat  on  his  brown  jennet,  was 
almost  wholly  covered  by  a  great  cloak  —  "  so 
you  have  arrived  before  us  ?  And  are  we  then 
to  have  no  share  in  this  adventure  ?  'Tis  pass- 
ing unfriendly  in  you  thus  to  dismiss  our  enemy 
ere  we  have  seen  his  face.  Tarry  awhile  and 
let  them  land  again.  Our  horsemen  here  are 
like  hounds  straining  at  the  leash.  What  men 
have  you,  Sir  Piers  ?  " 

"A  few  hundred  peasant  lads,  your  Majesty, 
and  some  eight  hundred  men  of  Bute,"  said  the 
knight. 

"  And  are  there  then  none  of  your  own 
men  of  Arran  ?  " 


THE    BATTLE    OF    LARGS  295 

"  Alas,  sire,  these  Norse  dogs  have  left  me 
but  a  handful  of  followers,  for  my  uncle  has 
been  slain,  and  our  four  castles  have  been 
taken.  Our  islanders  have  taken  refuge  among 
the  mountains.  I  and  my  family,  who,  by 
God's  grace,  escaped,  have  been  these  two 
weeks  past  in  Bute,  where  Earl  Kenric  has 
most  heroically  saved  the  lives  of  many  hun- 
dreds of  your  loyal  subjects.  'Tis  true  he  has 
lost  his  castles  of  Rothesay  and  Kilmory, 
but—" 

"  Kenric  of  Bute  has  done  well,"  said  the 
King.  "  We  have  already  heard  of  all  that  he 
has  done  for  the  people  of  Bute.  It  was  from 
one  of  his  own  messengers  that  we  first  heard 
of  Hakon's  arrival  on  our  coasts.  Kenric  shall 
not  be  forgotten.  Our  only  regret  is  that  he 
did  not  put  an  end  to  that  villainous  outlaw  his 
uncle.  But  there  may  yet  be  hope  that  Roderic 
is  in  the  field  this  day.  So  we  pray  you,  Sir 
Piers,  should  you  encounter  him,  deal  him  his 
death-blow,  and  you  shall  have  our  eternal  grat- 
itude. And  now  to  your  work,  and  God  de- 
fend the  right." 

Then  as  Sir  Piers  rode  off  to  rejoin  his 
troops,  the  King  turned  to  a  stalwart  warrior 
at  his  side  and  bade  him  show  King  Hakon  a 
lesson  in  defence.  This  warrior  was  Alexander 
the  high  steward  of  Scotland,  a  man  bred  in  the 
use  of  arms,  and,  next  to  Sir  Piers  de  Currie, 


296  THE   THIRSTY   SWORD 

the  most  valiant  soldier  that  fought  in  that 
field.  And  with  him  rode  three  good  English 
knights  who  were  of  the  court  of  Alexander. 
With  a  full  company  of  cavalry  he  rode  across 
the  plain  and  took  up  his  position  with  Sir 
Piers  de  Currie. 

During  this  interval  the  hail-storm  had 
abated,  and  the  Norsemen  had  again  effected 
a  landing  in  great  numbers  under  the  chiefs 
Ogmund  Kraekidantz  and  Haffiing  of  Ork- 
ney. 

Sir  Piers  de  Currie  and  the  steward  rode  for- 
ward side  by  side,  attempting  in  the  chivalrous 
style  of  the  time  to  provoke  an  encounter.  But 
none  would  take  this  challenge,  so  Sir  Piers 
rode  back.  Then  the  steward,  riding  in  front 
of  the  ranks  of  the  enemy  who  were  drawn 
up  along  the  beach,  was  speedily  surrounded. 
Spurring  his  charger,  he  dashed  forward,  and 
wielding  his  great  battle-axe  he  struck  down 
the  opposing  Norsemen  as  the  waving  wheat 
falls  before  the  sickle,  leaving  a  row  of  slain 
men  in  his  track. 

The  Norsemen  then  rushed  forward  with  loud 
cries  to  meet  the  troops  of  peasants  and  men  of 
Bute  who  charged  them.  But  the  horsemen 
galloped  in  between  and  drove  the  enemy  along 
the  shore.  The  fair-haired  warriors  of  the 
North  again  and  again  rallied  and  behaved 
with  the  accustomed  bravery  of  their  viking 


THE    BATTLE    OF    LARGS  297 

ancestors,  fearless  of  wounds  and  glorying  in 
warlike  death. 

Many  galleys  were  then  brought  nearer  in- 
shore, and  though  assailed  by  heavy  stones  from 
the  Scots'  machines  and  ceaseless  showers  of 
arrows,  their  men  scrambled  upon  the  beach. 
And  now  Sir  Piers  de  Currie  again  rode  for- 
ward, followed  by  Kenric,  Allan  Redmain, 
Duncan  Graham,  many  men  of  Bute,  and 
others  of  Lanark  and  Ayr.  This  was  the 
one  sortie  of  the  engagement  that  was  in  the 
nature  of  a  real  battle.  In  numbers  the  two 
sides  were  almost  equal. 

Sir  Piers  was  met  by  five  Norse  chiefs,  and 
he  encountered  them  with  fierce  courage.  One 
by  one  he  felled  them  to  the  ground,  cleaving 
their  brass  helms  with  his  heavy  axe.  And 
ever  as  they  fell  their  places  were  taken  by  as 
many  others.  At  his  horse's  left  side  fought 
Kenric,  Allan,  and  Duncan ;  Kenric  swinging 
his  great  sword  and  smiting  right  and  left  at 
those  who  tried  to  reach  the  horseman,  Allan 
and  Duncan  in  like  manner  fighting  with  steady 
blows.  And  thus  they  pressed  their  way  ever 
farther  into  the  ranks  of  the  enemy,  moving 
with  Sir  Piers,  backward  or  forward,  and  defend- 
ing his  left  side  as  he  slew  his  assailants  on  his 
right. 

Kenric  heard  the  gallant  knight's  panting 
breath  growing  weaker. 


298  THE   THIRSTY    SWORD 

"  To  the  other  side,  Duncan,"  he  cried.  And 
Duncan  Graham  worked  round  behind  the 
horse's  tail  to  relieve  Sir  Piers  of  some  of  his 
foes  who  pressed  upon  him.  Not  long  had  he 
changed  his  position  when  Kenric  saw  the 
horse  swerve  and  fall.  A  deep  groan  from  Sir 
Piers  was  all  that  told  of  the  terrible  wounds  he 
had  received. 

The  Norwegian  chronicle  recording  this  fight 
says  that  Sir  Piers  de  Currie  was  killed  by  a 
blow  which  severed  his  thigh  from  his  body,  the 
sword  cutting  through  the  greaves  of  his  armour 
and  penetrating  to  the  saddle.  Howbeit  the 
brave  Sir  Piers  was  slain,  and  the  man  who 
slew  him  was  the  outlaw  Roderic  MacAlpin. 

Duncan  Graham,  seeing  who  had  done  this 
thing,  at  once  closed  with  Roderic,  and  the  two 
fought  with  terrible  vigour. 

Now  Duncan,  ever-since  he  had  received  that 
wound  in  his  chest  over  at  Coll,  had  lost  the 
power  to  raise  his  right  arm  above  his  head,  and 
it  went  ill  with  him.  When  Kenric,  rushing  to 
Sir  Piers  de  Currie's  right  side,  first  saw  his 
enemy,  Roderic  was  in  the  act  of  smiting  a 
fearful  blow  upon  Duncan's  bare  and  out- 
stretched neck.  Duncan  fell,  not  even  utter- 
ing a  groan,  so  speedily  fatal  was  the  blow 
he  had  received. 

But  above  the  clang  of  the  battle  and  the 
thunderous  surging  of  the  waves,  there  rose  at 


THE    BATTLE    OF    LARGS  299 

this  moment  into  the  air  a  woman's  cry  of 
anguish.  It  was  the  cry  of  Aasta  the  Fair. 

Wearing  the  same  coat  of  mail  and  helmet 
that  she  had  worn  at  the  siege  of  Rothesay, 
and  wielding  a  light  broadsword,  she  had  been 
fighting  with  as  fearless  bravery  as  any  man 
there  present.  She  had  cloven  her  way 
through  the  battling  men  to  the  place  where 
rose  the  towering  head  of  her  lover  Duncan, 
and  arrived  at  his  side  at  the  very  moment 
when  the  sword  of  Roderic  smote  him  down. 
Splashed  with  her  lover's  blood  she  gripped  her 
sword,  nor  paused  to  see  if  Duncan  were  in- 
deed dead.  She  leapt  with  a  wolf-like  howl 
upon  Roderic  MacAlpin,  and  so  pressed  him 
with  her  blows  that  he  stepped  back  and  back. 
The  maid,  though  strong,  was  ill-trained  in  the 
use  of  the  sword,  and  her  every  blow  was  skil- 
fully parried.  But  to  Aasta's  side  came  Ken- 
ric,  his  eyes  gleaming  with  fierce  hatred  of  his 
foe.  They  were  now  at  the  very  verge  of  the 
sea,  and  the  spray  from  the  surging  billows  fell 
upon  them  like  heavy  rain.  Roderic  struck 
at  Aasta,  muttering  a  curse,  and  Kenric  in 
parrying  that  blow  missed  his  chance.  He 
saved  Aasta's  life,  but  before  he  could  recover 
his  weapon,  Roderic  had  quickly  turned  round 
and  plunged  into  the  foaming  waves. 

Promptly  did  Kenric  thrust  his  sword  be- 
tween his  knees  and  take  his  long-bow  from 


3OO  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

over  his  shoulder.  Aasta  as  promptly  handed 
him  an  arrow.  He  saw  Roderic  standing  waist- 
deep  in  the  breakers  sheathing  his  sword.  He 
levelled  an  arrow  at  his  throat,  but  quickly  as 
the  arrow  flew  Roderic  raised  his  shield.  The 
dart  plunged  into  the  hard  board.  Another 
and  another  arrow  followed  with  the  same  re- 
sult. Then  Roderic,  throwing  himself  into  the 
deeper  water,  and  holding  his  shield  to  defend 
his  bare  neck,  swam  outward  towards  the  ships. 
No  other  man  in  all  that  host  could  have 
breasted  those  great  waves  without  being 
dashed  to  pieces  on  the  rocks.  But  Roderic 
MacAlpin  was  as  much  at  home  in  the  water 
as  upon  the  dry  land,  and  though  Kenric  be- 
lieved that  he  had  but  preferred  a  watery  grave 
to  being  hacked  to  death  by  sword  or  axe,  yet 
Roderic  reached  his  ship  in  safety  and  lived  to 
fight  another  day. 

Kenric,  returning  with  Aasta  from  the 
beach,  found  Allan  Redmain,  surrounded  by 
many  men  of  Bute,  fighting  still.  There  was 
a  great  swordcut  across  his  cheek,  but  his 
strong  arms  waved  about  him  unceasingly, 
smiting  down  at  every  blow  one  of  the  fair- 
haired  warriors  of  the  North.  Then  Kenric 
joined  in  the  fray,  swinging  his  trusty  blade  to 
right,  to  left,  and  forcing  his  way  to  Allan's 
side,  where  he  stood  his  ground  over  the  dead 
body  of  Sir  Piers  de  Currie.  That  good 


THE    BATTLE    OF    LARGS  30 1 

knight's  splendid  armour  had  caught  the  eyes 
of  his  covetous  foes,  who  were  also  enraged  at 
the  thought  of  the  many  doughty  Norsemen 
who  had  fallen  under  his  mighty  blows. 
Twelve  of  their  best  men  were  victims  of  his 
well-wielded  battle-axe,  and  of  the  twelve  were 
the  Norse  barons  Ogmund  Kraekidantz,  Thor- 
lang  Bosi,  Paul  Soor,  Andrew  Nicholson,  and 
King  Hakon's  own  nephew,  Hakon  of  Steini, 
all  of  them  most  gallant  and  brave  warriors. 
But  not  less  enraged  were  the  Scots  on  their 
side  at  the  death  of  Sir  Piers,  whose  body  now 
became  the  centre  point  of  battle.  The  Norse- 
men strove  to  gain  possession  of  his  armour, 
and  piece  by  piece  they  carried  it  away.  But 
ever  the  Scots  bore  down  upon  their  foes. 
Swords,  pikes,  and  axes  dripped  with  the  crim- 
son drops  of  battle,  arrows  and  heavy  stones 
fell  in  the  midst  of  the  contending  forces ;  the 
groans  of  the  wounded,  the  lusty  shouts  of  the 
deep-throated  combatants  sounded  loud  above 
the  raging  of  the  wind  and  the  thunderous 
beating  of  the  waves. 

Very  soon  the  foemen  shrank  away,  leaving 
a  great  gap  in  their  lines  through  which  the 
Scots  cavalry  charged,  driving  the  Norsemen 
to  their  ships,  or  forcing  them  into  the  turbu- 
lent sea. 

At  the  head  of  the  cavalry  rode  the  Scottish 
King  with  his  valiant  steward  at  his  side.  But 


3O2  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

little  did  the  horsemen  do,  for  the  enemy, 
already  routed  by  the  defenders,  and  further 
dispersed  by  the  tempest  of  wind  and  hail,  gave 
up  the  fight.  Many  scrambled  upon  their 
boats  and  pushed  off  from  land,  and  very  soon 
there  was  scarce  a  living  Norseman  to  be  seen 
upon  the  strand.  The  steward  of  Scotland 
then  drew  up  his  forces  to  the  heights,  where 
they  formed  anew.  There  they  remained  for 
many  hours  in  the  shelter  of  the  woods,  for  the 
storming  of  the  elements  was  terrible  to  be- 
hold. 

Towards  evening  the  tempest  lulled  and  the 
Norsemen,  still  undaunted,  again  ventured 
ashore  in  vast  numbers,  landing  their  boats 
through  a  tremendous  surf.  These  new  troops, 
led  by  Roderic  MacAlpin  and  Haffling  of 
Orkney,  attacked  the  Scots  upon  two  points, 
making  a  desperate  charge,  and  with  such 
success  that  they  killed  many  and  drove  the 
whole  army  back  into  the  farther  valley.  But 
here  the  Scots  suddenly  halted.  Their  left 
wing  wheeled  round,  and  taking  the  invaders 
in  their  rear  they  speedily  brought  to  an  end 
that  battle  of  Largs. 

The  relics  of  this  brave  body  of  invaders, 
with  their  two  leaders,  again  embarked  in  their 
boats,  and  although  the  storm  continued  safely 
arrived  at  the  fleet.  The  remaining  ships  of 
Hakon  were  woefully  shattered ;  they  drove 


THE    BATTLE    OF    LARGS  303 

from  their  anchors,  many  were  stranded  on  the 
shore,  others  struck  against  shallows  and  rocks, 
or  found  equal  disaster  by  running  foul  of  each 
other. 

The  next  morning  presented  a  beach  cov- 
ered with  dead  bodies  and  a  sea  strewn  with 
wreckage. 

King  Hakon  himself  had  never  so  much  as 
drawn  his  sword.  His  barons  and  officers  had 
urged  him  to  remain  on  board  his  ship.  De- 
feated, and  dismayed  at  his  manifold  disasters, 
he  called  for  a  truce  for  the  burial  of  his  dead, 
and  five  days  were  spent  by  friend  and  foe 
in  consort  in  raising  above  the  graves  of  the 
fallen  warriors  those  rude  memorials  the  traces 
of  which  still  remain  to  mark  the  field  of 
battle. 

Of  the  twenty  thousand  followers  of  the 
Norse  king  scarcely  as  many  hundreds  re- 
mained alive,  and  of  his  splendid  fleet  but  a 
score  of  dismantled  galleys  were  left  afloat  to 
carry  back  the  defeated  invaders  to  their  sev- 
eral homes. 

Crossing  to  the  outer  seas,  Hakon  gathered 
about  him  the  few  pirate  chiefs  who  had  joined 
him  in  the  hope  of  plunder,  and  upon  them 
he  bestowed  as  rewards  for  their  service  the 
islands  of  which  he  had  made  imaginary  con- 
quest. He  gave  the  isle  of  Arran  to  Earl 
Margad,  who  had  invaded  it,  and  upon  Roderic 


304  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

MacAlpin  he  bestowed  the  isle  of  Bute.  These 
chiefs,  however,  did  not  at  once  take  possession 
of  their  estates,  but  remained  on  the  ships  that 
they  might  help  to  replenish  the  exhausted  pro- 
visions of  the  fleet  by  forcible  contribution  from 
the  isles. 

King  Hakon  now  felt  the  vast  change  that 
had  come  over  his  armament  during  the  few 
weeks  since  he  sailed  down  among  the  West- 
ern Isles,  conquering  and  winning  to  his  side 
the  island  princes  as  vassals  of  his  flag.  He 
returned  as  a  baffled  invader,  and  encountered 
many  severe  rebuffs  from  the  islanders  as  well 
as  further  disasters  from  the  winter  storms. 
The  fatigues  of  that  expedition  and  his  bitter 
disappointments  sank  deep  into  his  old  heart, 
and  never  again  did  he  see  the  home  that  he 
had  left.  Landing  in  Orkney  on  the  2gih  of 
October,  he  remained  in  the  palace  of  Kirk- 
wall,  and  there  died  a  broken-hearted  man. 

So  concluded  this  memorable  expedition 
against  Scotland,  which  began  with  high  hope, 
but  ended  only  with  disaster  and  the  death  of 
its  royal  leader.  No  more  did  the  sons  of  the 
vikings  attempt  to  take  their  stand  upon  the 
Western  Isles. 

Alexander  III.,  freed  from  a  restless  and 
powerful  enemy,  could  look  forward  to  a  con- 
tinuance of  peace  and  prosperity.  But  he  lost 
no  time  in  following  up  the  advantages  he  had 


THE    BATTLE    OF    LARGS  305 

gained  from  the  engagement  at  Largs.  In  the 
following  year  he  sent  a  strong  military  force 
against  those  unfortunate  chiefs  who  during  the 
late  expedition  had  remained  faithful  to  Hakon. 
Some  of  the  island  kings  were  executed ;  all 
were  reduced. 

Three  years  afterwards,  in  1266,  the  disputes 
with  Norway  were  finally  settled  by  a  formal 
treaty  with  Magnus  IV.,  Hakon's  son,  who 
agreed  to  yield  to  Scotland  for  ever  after,  all 
right  and  sovereignty  over  the  Isle  of  Man  and 
the  Western  Isles,  specially  reserving  Orkney 
and  Shetland  to  the  crown  of  Norway. 

In  the  year  1281  a  bond  of  friendship  was 
established  between  the  two  nations  by  the 
marriage  of  the  Scottish  princess  Margaret, 
daughter  of  Alexander  III.,  to  Eric  of  Norway, 
the  grandson  of  Hakon  the  Old.  It  was  the 
daughter  of  this  marriage,  Margaret  the  Maid 
of  Norway,  whose  sad  death  in  1290  brought 
about  the  disputes  of  Bruce  and  Baliol,  and  led 
to  the  great  war  of  Scottish  independence. 


3O6  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

CHAPTER   XXVIII 

AASTA'S  SECRET  MISSION 

SINCE  the  invasion  of  Bute,  when  Elspeth 
Blackfell's  cottage  had  been  laid  in  ruins, 
Aasta  the  Fair  had  taken  up  her  abode  with 
the  old  woman  in  a  little  cave  that  may  still  be 
seen  opening  out  upon  the  wooded  heights 
above  Ascog  Bay. 

On  an  evening  in  late  December  the  maiden 
sat  in  this  cave.  Her  fair  head,  with  its  long 
flowing  hair,  was  resting  in  her  hands,  and  her 
deep  blue  eyes  were  fixed  upon  the  glow  of  a 
peat  fire  that  burned  in  the  middle  of  the 
chamber,  and  reflected  its  warm  light  upon  the 
deerskin  curtain  at  the  entrance.  From  with- 
out came  the  soughing  of  a  bitter  east  wind 
that  blew  in  biting  gusts  across  the  Clyde. 

The  three  months  that  had  passed  since 
the  battle  of  Largs  had  brought  but  little  joy 
into  Aasta's  lonely  heart.  The  destruction  of 
the  castle  of  Kilmory,  and  the  coming  of  winter, 
had  deprived  her  of  her  daily  occupations  upon 
the  farm  lands,  and  her  work  would  not  be 
renewed  until  Allan  Redmain  had  rebuilt  his 
castle  and  spring  had  softened  the  frozen  fields. 
The  frosts  and  snows  had  brought  many  hard- 


AASTA'S  SECRET  MISSION  307 

ships ;  food  was  scarce,  and  life  in  that  rocky 
cave  had  few  comforts.  More  than  all,  Dun- 
can Graham,  whom  she  had  hoped  to  wed,  was 
dead  —  slain  in  battle  by  the  sword  of  the  out- 
law Roderic.  Aasta  almost  felt  that  she  had 
rather  have  been  slain  at  her  lover's  side  than 
live  longer  without  him  in  a  world  that  offered 
her  so  little  joy. 

But  in  her  despair  for  herself  she  yet  was 
comforted  by  the  knowledge  that  the  Earl 
Kenric  had  been  spared  to  his  people,  and  that 
the  Norsemen  had  finally  left  him  in  possession 
of  his  castle  and  lands.  It  was  of  Kenric  that 
she  was  now  thinking  as  she  sat  before  the  fire. 
Ever  since  that  night  in  September,  when  she 
had  journeyed  with  him  to  Gigha,  she  had 
felt  a  strange,  close  sympathy  with  him,  an 
affection  for  him  that  was  stronger  than  any 
other  feeling  she  had  ever  known.  Kenric's 
peaceful  happiness  was  the  one  thing  that  she 
yearned  for.  But  now,  when  she  had  thought 
such  happiness  was  surely  before  him,  an  un- 
expected danger  had  suddenly  arisen.  Roderic 
the  Rover  was  still  alive.  The  battle  which 
had  brought  about  the  death  of  so  many  of  his 
companions  had  spared  him.  The  raging  ele- 
ments that  had  destroyed  so  many  of  the  ships 
had  left  Roderic's  galley  unharmed.  He  had 
voyaged  into  the  far  north  with  the  defeated 
King  Hakon,  and  after  Hakon's  death  he  had 


308  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

returned  to  Gigha.  On  any  day  he  might  be 
expected  again  in  Bute. 

Aasta  had  just  heard  this  unwelcome  news 
from  a  fisherman  who  had  come  ashore  at 
Ascog,  and  she  was  questioning  in  her  mind 
how  she  might  profit  by  the  occasion  and,  un- 
known to  Kenric,  go  secretly  over  to  Gigha 
and  compass  the  death  of  this  powerful  enemy 
of  Bute.  She  hated  Earl  Roderic  as  the  cushat 
hates  the  night-hawk,  and  if  by  some  subtle 
means  she  could  bring  him  to  his  death,  then 
might  she  deem  herself  fortunate  indeed,  and 
her  own  life  not  wholly  thrown  away  by  a 
sacrifice  that  would  be  the  means  of  ensuring 
lasting  happiness  to  the  lord  of  Bute. 

A  new  light  beamed  in  her  large  eyes  as 
she  determined  at  all  hazards  to  attempt  this 
thing. 

Presently  she  rose  from  her  little  wooden 
stool  and  took  down  a  heavy  cloak  that  she 
threw  about  her  shoulders.  Then  from  under 
a  sheep-skin  mat  she  drew  forth  a  long  sharp 
dirk,  which  she  placed  in  her  leathern  belt. 
She  went  further  into  the  cave  and  put  some 
bread-cakes  into  her  wallet.  Then  drawing 
aside  a  curtain  that  shut  off  a  side  chamber 
in  the  rocky  walls,  she  held  up  a  lighted  cruse- 
lamp  and  looked  for  a  few  silent  moments  upon 
the  sleeping  form  of  Elspeth  Blackfell. 

"  Fare   you   well,   Elspeth,"   she   murmured 


AASTAS    SECRET    MISSION  309 

softly.  "  It  may  be  that  I  shall  never  see  you 
again  —  no,  never  again.  But  God  will  reward 
you  for  the  great  goodness  you  have  shown  to 
your  poor  Aasta.  Fare  you  well." 

As  she  sighed  and  dropped  the  curtain  she 
turned  to  leave  the  cave,  and  there  crept 
towards  her  the  gaunt  form  of  a  great  dog-wolf, 
upon  whose  breast  there  was  a  patch  of  pure 
white  hair.  The  animal  lazily  stretched  him- 
self and  yawned,  showing  his  long  red  tongue 
and  his  white  fangs.  Aasta  bent  down  and 
patted  his  shaggy  coat. 

"  No,  Lufa,  it  is  alone  I  go.  Get  back  to 
your  corner,"  she  said  coaxingly.  The  animal 
turned  tail,  and  with  the  obedience  of  a  tame 
dog  went  back  into  the  darkness  and  lay  down 
on  his  mat  of  sheep-skin,  while  Aasta,  drawing 
her  cloak  about  her,  slipped  silently  out  into 
the  clear  twilight  and  faced  the  keen  east 
wind. 

Turning  along  a  narrow  path  that  led  up- 
ward to  the  head  of  the  bank,  she  followed  the 
course  of  a  little  stream  whose  pure  water  was 
now  turned  into  icy  crystals.  As  she  gained 
the  level  height  the  wind  blew  her  hair  about 
her  pale  and  beautiful  face.  She  drew  her 
hood  over  her  head  and  turned  inland.  To 
the  south  the  giant  fells  of  Arran,  shrouded  in 
snow,  stood  out  white  and  distinct  against  a 
steel-blue  sky,  with  the  wan  moon  above  them. 


3IO  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

But  the  ground  that  Aasta  trod  was  bare  and 
hard,  and  the  drifted  snow  lay  only  in  the 
deeper  hollows  crisp  as  ice.  She  crossed  the 
Great  Plain  beside  the  Seat  of  Law,  until  she 
came  to  the  wooded  shores  of  Loch  Ascog. 
She  observed  that  the  ruffled  water  of  the  little 
lake  was  of  a  deep  blue,  and  she  thought  of  the 
weird  belief  of  that  time  which  held  that  those 
waters  claimed  once  every  year  a  new  victim, 
and  that  they  only  assumed  that  dark-blue 
colour  in  token  of  a  coming  death.  She  looked 
upon  Ascog  Mere  with  a  superstitious  dread, 
for  the  people  of  Bute  believed  that  it  was  a 
place  of  punishment  for  unhappy  spirits,  who 
might  often  be  heard  wailing  in  the  dismal 
morass  about  its  margin.  She  heard  such  a 
wailing  even  now,  though  perhaps  it  was  but 
the  whistling  of  the  wintry  wind  among  the 
frozen  reeds,  or  the  tinkling  of  the  ice  that  was 
gathering  in  a  film  at  the  water's  verge. 

Hastening  her  steps,  she  sought  the  shelter 
of  the  tall  fir-trees,  and  made  her  way  to  the 
southern  point  of  the  lake  that  she  might  reach 
the  western  shores  of  the  island,  and  so  take  a 
fisher's  boat  across  to  Gigha  by  the  same  easy 
course  that  Kenric  had  taken  with  her  three 
months  before.  The  journey  must  now  be 
taken  alone,  for  she  meant  that  the  vengeful 
work  she  contemplated  should  be  secret, 
and  that  Earl  Kenric  should  be  rid  of  his  dan- 


AASTAS    SECRET    MISSION  3!  I 

gerous  enemy  without  knowing  by  whom  or  by 
what  means  Roderic  had  been  slain. 

Scarcely  had  Aasta  emerged  from  among  the 
trees  and  crossed  towards  the  lake  when  she 
heard  the  beating  of  footsteps  upon  the  hard 
ground.  She  stood  still  and  listened.  Nearer 
and  nearer  the  footsteps  advanced,  and  pres- 
ently at  the  top  of  a  bald  knoll  in  front  of  her 
there  appeared  the  tall  figure  of  a  man.  He 
was  covered  by  a  seaman's  great  cloak,  which 
he  held  partly  over  his  face  to  shield  him  from 
the  cutting  wind.  He  came  rapidly  towards 
her,  and  when  they  were  but  a  few  paces  apart 
he  drew  back  his  cloak,  revealing  his  long  red 
beard. 

"  Roderic  of  Gigha ! "  cried  Aasta  recoiling 
a  step  and  feeling  for  her  dirk,  as  she  recog- 
nized the  man  she  had  set  out  to  slay. 

"  Ay,  Roderic  it  is,"  said  he  smiling  grimly. 
"  And  methinks,  fair  damsel,  that  you  are  the 
very  same  who  so  cunningly  escaped  from  my 
ship  over  at  Arrochar  —  the  same  also  who 
fought  so  bravely  against  me  at  Largs?  By 
the  saints,  my  pretty  one,  but  you  are  a  most 
courageous  maiden;  much  do  I  admire  you, 
and  fain  would  I  know  you  better.  Nay,  be 
not  afraid  of  me,"  he  added  as  he  saw  her  draw 
back  from  him,  "  I  will  not  hurt  you." 

"  What  wicked  schemes,  my  lord,  have 
brought  you  yet  again  to  Bute  ?  "  asked  Aasta, 


312  THE   THIRSTY    SWORD 

making  pretence  to  be  very  calm,  and  thinking 
that  by  seeming  to  yield  to  his  humour  she 
might  be  the  better  able  presently  to  use  her 
dirk. 

"  If  you  must  know,"  said  he  as  he  stepped 
aside  to  the  leeward  of  a  great  rock,  "  I  come 
hither  to  see  the  old  witch  Elspeth  Blackfell, 
to  reproach  her  for  her  false  prophecy.  Where 
lives  the  old  hag  these  wintry  days  ?  " 

"  In  the  cave  of  Ascog,  if  you  know  that 
place,"  said  Aasta,  promptly  deciding  how  she 
might  entrap  him  there,  and  knowing  full  well 
that  the  wolf  Lufa  would  be  a  sufficient  protec- 
tion for  Elspeth. 

"  I  know  it  well,"  said  Roderic,  "  and  there 
will  I  go.  And  now,  how  fares  the  young  lord 
of  Bute  since  he  has  lost  his  castles  and 
lands?" 

"  My  lord  Kenric's  castles  and  lands  are  in 
no  wise  lost  to  him,"  said  Aasta  more  boldly. 

"How  so?  Not  lost?"  cried  Roderic  in 
surprise.  "  Where,  then,  is  Thorolf  Sigurdson, 
whom  I  left  as  warden  over  my  isle  of  Bute  ?  " 

"  Thorolf  Sigurdson,  Heaven  bless  his  hon- 
est heart!  has  gone  home  these  many  weeks 
past  to  Benbecula,  and  taken  his  cowardly 
Norsemen  with  him." 

"  The  traitor !  "  gasped  Roderic.  "  And  is 
the  young  Kenric  again  in  possession  of  my 
castle  of  Rothesay  ?  " 


AASTA S    SECRET    MISSION  313 

"  The  castle  of  Rothesay  was  never  yours, 
Earl  Roderic,  and  never  shall  be,"  returned 
Aasta  firmly.  "  His  Majesty  of  Scots  hath 
given  us  full  protection,  and  for  you  to  seek 
to  remove  Earl  Kenric  from  his  rightful  lord- 
ship were  vain.  If  you  value  your  life,  my 
lord,  go  not  near  to  Rothesay." 

"  Your  warnings  are  useless,  bold  maiden," 
said  Roderic  with  a  sneer.  "  To  Rothesay  I 
will  surely  go,  and  Kenric,  were  he  the  strong- 
est man  in  all  the  isles,  shall  not  prevent  me 
from  taking  my  own.  I  have  sworn  to  bring 
that  whelp  to  his  death,  and  by  St.  Olaf  he 
shall  die  this  very  night ! " 

Aasta  drew  nearer  until  she  stood  close 
enough  to  touch  him.  The  light  of  the  moon 
shone  upon  her  beautiful  face,  and  Roderic, 
standing  with  his  back  against  the  rock, 
thought  that  surely  she  was  the  fairest  woman 
his  eyes  had  ever  beheld. 

"  My  lord,"  said  she  softly,  as  though  she 
meant  to  help  him  to  his  coveted  power.  "  If 
this  be  indeed  your  intention,  methinks  'twere 
well  that  you  should  first  reckon  with  me." 
Her  right  hand  now  grasped  the  haft  of  her 
dirk,  her  left  hand  was  ready  to  fly  at  the 
man's  bare  throat.  "  Haply  I  am  but  a  weak 
woman ;  yet  a  woman  can  ofttimes  do  that 
which  men  would  shrink  from." 

"  Even  so,"  said  he  calmly.     "  And   now  if 


314  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

you  would  but  help  me  in  this  project,  I  swear 
to  you  that  I  will  love  you  always,  and  when  I 
am  in  possession  of  my  lands  and  castles,  I  will 
even  make  you  my  wedded  wife,  and  you  shall 
be  right  happy." 

"  Villain  !  "  cried  Aasta.  Then  she  flung 
back  her  cloak  and  sprang  upon  him,  seizing 
his  throat  and  raising  her  knife  to  strike  it  to 
his  heart. 

Roderic  saw  her  eyes  flash  like  two  fierce 
fires.  He  saw  her  weapon  gleaming  in  the 
moon's  pale  light.  With  a  wild  cry  of  rage  he 
caught  her  uplifted  arm  and  arrested  it. 

"  Deceitful  witch,"  he  cried.  "  Is  it  thus  that 
you  would  help  me  ? " 

"  Even  so,"  said  Aasta  the  Fair.  "  For  now 
your  last  hour  has  come.  No  mercy  will  I  show 
you,  base  villain  that  you  are  !  " 

And  then  they  struggled  together  in  each 
other's  arms,  swaying  and  panting,  gripping 
and  twisting,  like  two  furious  animals.  Aasta 
held  him  firmly  with  her  left  hand,  burying  her 
strong  fingers  in  his  thick  throat.  But  at  last 
he  freed  himself  and  forced  her  back.  Then 
with  fierce  anger  he  caught  her  up  in  his  arms 
and  raised  her  from  her  feet,  and  carried  her 
away. 

Thereupon  Aasta  gave  forth  a  loud  and 
piercing  cry  that  sounded  far  away  in  the 
keen  winter  air. 


AASTAS    SECRET    MISSION  315 

That  cry  was  heard  at  the  farther  side  of 
Loch  Ascog,  where,  in  the  dingle  of  Lochly, 
Allan  Redmain  was  walking  northward  towards 
Rothesay.  Allan  thought  at  first  that  it  was 
the  cry  of  some  imprisoned  spirit  in  the  mere ; 
but  again  he  heard  it,  and  no  longer  doubted 
that  it  was  a  woman's  voice  calling  for  help. 
He  ran  back  to  the  southern  point  of  the  lake, 
and  searched  in  the  growing  darkness  for  a 
sign  that  might  tell  him  what  had  happened. 
Nothing  could  he  see  but  the  bare  bleak  land 
with  its  patches  of  frozen  snow,  the  dark  trees 
waving  in  the  wind,  and  the  still  blue  surface 
of  the  mere  where  the  frost  was  swiftly  con- 
gealing the  water  into  transparent  ice.  And 
then  he  thought  that  his  ears  had  deceived 
him. 

He  went  onward  to  Rothesay  over  the 
ever-hardening  land.  The  frost  bit  sharply. 
Every  stream  of  water  shrank  into  itself  in 
firm  clear  ice  and  grew  silent.  Allan  was  full- 
blooded  in  his  strong  manhood,  but  when  he 
reached  the  castle  gates  his  fingers,  toes,  and 
ears  were  numb  with  the  intense  cold. 

Before  the  blazing  fire  in  the  great  hall  he 
found  Kenric  with  the  Lady  Adela  and  his  own 
sister  Ailsa.  Another  also  was  there  whose 
presence  made  Allan  forget  the  cold.  This 
other  was  sweet  Margery  de  Currie,  the  eldest 
daughter  of  brave  Sir  Piers.  She  blushed  as 


316  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

Allan  entered,  and  made  room  beside  her  for 
him  to  sit  down.  She  took  his  hands  in  hers 
and  chafed  them  into  warmth,  at  which  the 
Lady  Adela  smiled  approval,  thinking  how 
brave  a  pair  they  made. 

Presently  the  servitors  entered  and  made 
ready  the  evening  meal.  Allan  rose  and  drew 
Kenric  aside. 

"  Over  at  Kilmory  two  hours  ago,"  said  he, 
"  I  learned  bad  news,  my  lord." 

"What  news  is  that,  Sir  Allan?"  asked 
Kenric.  "  Is  it  that  your  builders  refuse  to 
work  in  this  cold  weather  ?  What  matters  it  ? 
Have  you  not  a  good  home  here,  where  you 
can  see  your  lady-love  every  day  ?  Have  pa- 
tience, Allan  ;  Margery  will  wait,  and  you  will 
be  wedded  when  the  spring-time  comes,  and 
when  your  castle  will  be  better  fitted  to  receive 
you  —  " 

"  Nay,  Kenric,  'tis  not  such  matters  as  these 
that  trouble  me,"  said  Allan  gravely.  "  The 
news  I  speak  of  is  that  the  rascal  Roderic 
the  Outlaw  has,  as  I  believe,  returned  to 
Gigha." 

"  Roderic  in  Gigha !  "  cried  Kenric  in  alarm. 
"Alas!  and  I  thought  him  dead.  Who  told 
you  this  thing  ?  " 

"A  fisherman  of  Gigha,"  said  Allan.  "  But 
I  understood  him  ill.  Methinks  we  had  better 
inquire  of  the  maid  Aasta  the  Fair,  for  the 


ELSPETH    BLACKFELL  317 

fisher  spoke  with  her,  and  well  I  wot  he  told 
her  all." 

"  Doubtless,"  said  Kenric.  "And  on  the 
morrow  I  will  even  seek  Aasta  and  learn  from 
her  if  this  be  true.  It  may  be  that  there  still 
is  work  for  my  sword  to  perform.  Well  is  it 
that  I  have  not  already  fulfilled  my  intention 
of  casting  the  brave  weapon  into  the  sea." 


CHAPTER   XXIX 

ELSPETH    BLACKFELL 

CARLY  on  the  following  morning,  which 
L '  was  the  last  of  the  year,  Elspeth  Blackfell 
awoke  to  find  herself  alone  in  the  cave.  Aasta 
was  gone;  even  the  wolf  Lufa  was  no  longer 
there,  and  the  fire  was  dead  out.  Elspeth  with 
some  difficulty  kindled  the  hard  dry  peats,  and 
went  to  put  some  water  into  the  pot  to  make 
porridge.  The  water  in  the  well  at  the  far 
end  of  the  cave  was  turned  to  solid  ice.  At 
the  cave's  entrance  there  was  a  fringe  of  long 
icicles  hanging  like  sword-blades  from  the  bare 
rock.  All  was  cold  and  desolate.  The  black 
frost  had  penetrated  everywhere,  even,  it 
seemed,  to  the  old  woman's  bones,  for  she 
moved  slowly  and  bent  for  many  minutes  over 


318  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

the  little  fire  vainly  trying  to  bring  warmth 
into  her  shrivelled  limbs. 

When  at  last  she  was  able  to  put  some 
broken  ice  into  her  pot,  she  went  out  into  the 
chill  open  air,  climbed  the  slippery  bank,  and 
stood  upon  the  height  looking  abroad  for 
Aasta.  She  heard  the  tread  of  footsteps 
crunching  upon  the  hard  ground  among  the 
neighbouring  trees ;  but  the  tread  was 
strangely  heavy.  It  was  not  that  of  the  light- 
footed  maiden.  Elspeth  returned  into  the 
cave  and  began  to  prepare  her  meal.  The 
sound  of  the  footsteps  continued  to  fall  upon 
her  ears  ;  they  came  nearer.  She  went  to  the 
entrance  and  drew  aside  the  deerskin  curtain. 
She  started  back  at  sight  of  Roderic  the  Out- 
law. 

"  You!  "  she  cried,  scowling.  "  What  devil's 
work  now  brings  you  back  to  Bute  ?  for  evil  it 
must  surely  be  that  tempts  you  hither." 

"  Cease  your  croaking,  Elspeth  Blackfell," 
said  he,  "and  give  me  food.  This  cold  has 
crept  into  my  very  marrow.  Quick,  give  me 
food." 

Elspeth  stood  aside  and  allowed  him  to 
enter.  He  went  to  the  fire  and  snatched  up 
a  burning  peat,  moving  it  rapidly  from  hand 
to  hand,  and  blowing  it  into  a  red  glow  with 
his  misty  breath.  Then  when  he  had  warmed 
himself,  he  took  out  his  dirk  and  cut  up 


ELSPETH    BLACKFELL  319 

some  wood  for  the  fire,  making  the  flames 
rise  high  about  the  pot  until  the  water  began 
to  simmer. 

Elspeth,  without  speaking,  brought  him  an 
oaten  cake,  which  he  ravenously  devoured.  By 
the  time  that  he  had  eaten  it  the  water  was 
boiling.  He  thrust  his  strong  red  hand  into 
the  bag  of  oatmeal,  and  then  proceeded  to  stir 
the  porridge,  while  the  old  woman  brought 
wooden  bowls  and  a  dish  of  goat's  milk. 

They  ate  their  meal  in  silence,  each  eyeing 
the  other  with  suspicious  glances  of  mutual 
hatred.  Not  until  he  had  appeased  his  hunger 
did  Roderic  say  more  than  a  few  casual  words. 
Elspeth  felt  herself  in  his  power,  for  she  was 
alone,  a  frail  and  weaponless  old  woman  against 
a  strong  healthy  man,  whose  sword  might  at 
any  moment  be  flashed  forth  to  her  destruction. 
She  waited,  anxiously  hoping  that  Aasta  would 
soon  return  with  the  wolf. 

"  And  now,  Elspeth  Blackfell,"  said  he,  at  last 
as  he  tossed  his  empty  bowl  into  a  corner,  "  you 
would  know  my  reason  for  coming  back  to  Bute, 
eh  ?  Need  you  ask  it  ?  It  is,  in  the  first  place, 
that  I  may  bring  my  bold  nephew  Kenric  to 
his  account.  I  am,  as  you  know,  a  poor  defeated 
warrior.  I  am  tired  of  battling;  I  would  rest 
myself  awhile.  My  late  sovereign  King  Hakon 
of  Norway  is  dead.  To  Alexander  of  Scots 
must  I  now  turn  for  protection.  'Tis  true  he 


320  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

has  made  me  an  outlaw;  but  what  of  that? 
Bute  is  mine,  Gigha  is  mine,  and  Alexander 
can  ill  afford  to  keep  me  his  enemy.  I  will  turn 
young  Kenric  from  my  lands  which  he  usurps, 
and  I  doubt  not  all  will  yet  go  well  with  me." 

"  Methinks,"  said  Elspeth,  "  that  you  will  find 
it  no  easy  matter  to  turn  my  lord  Kenric  from 
his  seat,  for  Alexander  loves  him  right  well,  and 
has  assured  him  of  his  fullest  protection." 

"  I  care  not  that  much  for  Alexander  or 
Kenric,"  said  Roderic,  snapping  his  fingers. 
"Think  you  that  I  mean  to  wander  about,  a 
homeless  vagabond,  as  I  have  wandered  these 
few  weeks  past?  Not  so;  Kenric  shall  die, 
and  by  fair  means  or  foul  I  shall  take  his 
place." 

Roderic  here  stood  up  to  his  full  height  and 
faced  the  old  woman. 

"And  now,  as  to  my  second  motive  in  return- 
ing hither,"  said  he ;  "  it  is  to  have  some  words 
with  you  —  ay,  you,  Elspeth  Blackfell  —  con- 
cerning the  false  prophecy  you  made  me. 
When,  as  I  landed  over  at  St.  Ninian's  three 
moons  ago,  with  my  gallant  warriors,  I  besought 
you  in  your  witchery  to  tell  me  the  true  issue 
of  our  invasion,  you  told  me  —  false-tongued 
hag  that  you  are  —  that  if  the  first  blood  that 
was  drawn  should  be  that  of  a  man  of  Bute, 
then  my  Norsemen  should  be  victorious ;  and 
if  it  was  that  of  a  Norseman,  then  the  Scots 


ELSPETH    BLACKFELL  321 

should  win  the  fight.  And  I  believed  you. 
Now  it  was  a  lad  of  Bute  that  gave  the  first 
blood,  and  yet  the  Scots  are  free  and  the  Norse- 
men are  utterly  defeated.  Explain  me  this, 
thou  harridan." 

"  My  lord,"  said  Elspeth,  rising  and  putting 
the  fire  between  them,  "  listen  to  me.  What  I 
said  at  that  time  may  indeed  seem  passing 
strange.  But  though  I  claim  no  power,  as  you 
mistakenly  think,  to  see  into  the  future,  yet 
nevertheless  the  words  I  spake  have  come 
true." 

"  True  ?  How  so  ?  "  cried  he,  handling  his 
sword. 

"  The  youth  you  slew,  my  lord  Roderic,  was 
not  of  Bute,"  said  Elspeth  with  a  trembling 
voice.  "  Ah  !  you  look  with  surprise !  But  wait. 
You  knew  not  what  you  did ;  you  knew  not 
who  it  was  that  you  so  wantonly  slew." 

"  What  mean  you?  Who  then  was  this  youth? 
Of  what  land  was  he,  and  what  was  his  name  ? " 

Elspeth  paused  and  stepped  nearer. 

"  His  name,  my  lord,  was  Lulach,  and  he  was 
the  son  of  Roderic  MacAlpin  and  Sigrid  the 
Fair." 

"  You  lie,  vile  witch,  you  lie  !  "  cried  Roderic, 
recoiling  as  he  heard  her  words,  and  pressing 
his  hands  to  his  brow. 

"  Not  so,"  said  Elspeth,  "  the  youth  you  then 
slew  was  indeed  your  own  son." 


322  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

"  God  forgive  me!  "  murmured  Roderic,  sink- 
ing to  his  seat  and  burying  his  shaggy  head  in 
his  hands.  "  Oh,  Lulach,  Lulach !  my  son,  my 
son!" 

"  Well  may  you  weep,  my  lord ;  but  methinks 
your  punishment  is  full  well  deserved.  Better 
had  you  obeyed  our  good  abbot,  and  gone  upon 
the  holy  pilgrimage;  better  still  had  you  re- 
mained content  upon  your  isle  of  Gigha,  and 
never  sought,  in  your  ambition,  to  wrest  from 
your  brother  Hamish  the  larger  inheritance 
that  you  coveted.  But  you  slew  our  good  Earl 
Hamish;  you  slew  his  son  Alpin.  Blame  now 
yourself  alone  in  that  your  folly  led  you  to  slay 
also  your  own  son  Lulach.  'Twas  an  evil  game 
you  played,  my  lord,  and  your  punishment  is 
just." 

"  Taunt  me  no  more,"  said  Roderic  sullenly. 
"  Taunt  me  no  more.  But  tell  me,  if  it  indeed 
be  that  my  boy  is  dead  —  my  dear  son  Lulach, 
whom  I  might  have  loved  all  these  years  had  I 
but  known  he  could  be  found  —  tell  me,  when 
came  he  into  Bute  ? " 

"  Long  years  ago,  my  lord,  when  he  was  but 
a  child,  and  at  the  time  when  you  were  roving 
the  seas  in  pursuit  of  Rapp  the  Icelander.  Had 
you,  instead  of  following  your  life  of  plunder- 
ing, but  come  as  a  friend  and  brother  to  Earl 
Hamish,  it  may  be  that  you  might  have  found 
your  boy.  'Twas  not  for  me  to  seek  you  out, 


YOU   LIE,    VILE   WRETCH,    YOU   LIE!"    CRIED    RODERIC. 


ELSPETH    BLACKFELL  323 

or  to  send  Lulach  to  the  home  of  a  father  who 
was  no  better  than  a  murdering  pirate.  The 
lad  was  happier  where  he  was,  even  though  he 
lived  the  life  of  a  poor  thrall." 

"  Alas  !  so  near,  so  very  near ! "  murmured 
Roderic.  "And  I  believed  that  the  kelpie  had 
carried  off  my  bairns,  while  all  the  time  it  was 
but  a  few  brief  miles  of  sea  that  divided  us ! 
My  bairns?  Ay,  there  were  two.  And  the 
other  —  the  girl  —  what  of  her?  What  of  my 
sweet,  blue-eyed  Aasta  ?  " 

"  Aasta  ?     She,  my  lord,  is  still  in  life." 

"  In  Bute  ?  " 

"  Ay,  even  in  Bute." 

"  God  be  thanked  for  that!  "  sighed  Roderic. 
"  There  is  yet  some  happiness  in  store  for  me. 
Where  is  she  ?  Where  may  I  see  her  ?  " 

"  This  very  day  may  you  see  her,  my  lord. 
To-night  the  good  abbot  of  St.  Blane's  holds 
the  festival  of  the  new  year.  Aasta  will  be 
within  the  chapel." 

"  Alas !  but  I  cannot  show  my  face  in  the 
company  of  men,"  said  Roderic.  "  I  am  in 
hiding  as  an  outlaw,  and  I  am  alone  and  ill- 
defended." 

"  Be,  then,  upon  the  headland  of  Garroch 
at  the  midnight  hour,"  said  Elspeth.  "  Wait 
there,  my  lord,  and  I  will  send  to  you  either 
Aasta  herself  or  else  a  messenger  who  will  tell 
you  all  you  may  wish  to  know." 


324  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

"  Right  so,"  said  Roderic  ;  "  at  midnight  on 
the  Garroch  Head." 

"  And  now  I  beg  you,  Earl  Roderic,  go  hence 
from  this  cave.  Go  hence  to  your  boat  and 
remain  there  in  hiding;  for  if  it  be  that  the 
maid,  who  knows  you  not  as  her  father,  should 
learn  of  your  presence  in  Bute,  your  plans  will 
most  surely  be  frustrated." 

"  I  will  obey  you,  Elspeth,"  said  the  outlaw, 
rising.  And  forthwith  he  left  the  cave. 

Elspeth  followed  him  to  the  heights  and 
watched  him  journeying  southward  through 
the  trees.  Then  when  he  was  out  of  sight, 
she  went  back  to  the  cave  and  sat  down,  medi- 
tating how  she  might  prevent  the  meeting  she 
had  planned  and  turn  the  appointment  to  a 
very  different  account. 

She  waited  for  Aasta  to  return,  intending  to 
send  the  maid  at  once  to  Rothesay  to  warn 
Earl  Kenric  that  his  outlawed  uncle  was  in  the 
island.  But  as  Aasta  did  not  appear  before 
mid-day,  Elspeth  took  her  cloak  and  staff  and 
prepared  to  go  herself  to  the  castle.  She  was 
putting  some  new  fuel  upon  the  fire,  when  the 
curtain  at  the  cave's  entrance  was  drawn  aside, 
and  there  she  saw  Kenric  himself. 

He  wore  an  otter-skin  cap  that  covered  his 
ears,  and  a  great  cloak  of  sheep-skins. 

"  Give  you  good  day,  my  lord,"  said  the  old 


ELSPETH    BLACKFELL  325 

woman,  her  eyes  brightening  as  she  offered 
him  a  seat  beside  the  fire. 

"  Knew  you  ever  so  cold  a  day  as  this, 
Elspeth  ?  By  the  rood,  but  the  frost  bites 
keenly!  And  you,  how  can  you  live  in  this 
cold  cell?  It  grieves  me  to  see  you  here. 
Better  it  were  that  you  came  to  bide  in  our 
castle  —  you  and  Aasta.  This  is  no  place  for 
a  dog  to  live  in  in  frosty  weather.  Where  is 
Aasta?  'Twas  her  I  came  to  see,  for  I  hear 
that  she  has  news  from  Gigha." 

"  News  indeed,  Earl  Kenric.  But  not  alone 
from  Gigha.  Roderic  is  even  in  Bute." 

"  In  Bute!     When  came  he?  " 

"  Even  this  morning  he  was  here  in  this 
cave.  And  he  has  come  hither  to  do  you  in- 
jury, my  lord." 

"  Doubtless ;  for  when  came  he  to  Bute  with 
other  intent  ?  Where  can  I  find  him  ?  " 

"  That  will  I  soon  tell,"  said  Elspeth,  "  and 
glad  I  am  that  so  little  time  has  been  lost. 
You  will  find  him,  my  lord,  at  midnight  on  the 
Garroch  Head.  Take  with  you  your  sword  of 
Somerled,  and  meeting  him,  send  him  speedily 
to  his  deserved  death.  You  will  not  fail.  If 
what  I  hear  of  your  increased  prowess  with 
your  weapon  be  true,  assuredly  you  are  now  a 
match  even  for  Roderic  MacAlpin." 

"  What  takes  him  to  Garroch  at  that  dread 
hour?" 


326  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

"  It  is  that  he  expects  to  meet  Aasta." 

"  Aasta?" 

"  Even  so,  my  lord." 

"  And  wherefore  should  Roderic  have  aught 
to  do  with  the  maid  ?  " 

"  You  well  may  ask,"  said  Elspeth,  "  and  it 
is  not  willingly  that  I  would  have  them  meet. 
But  'twas  the  only  plan  I  could  devise  for  get- 
ting him  from  my  presence  and  bringing  him 
to  a  place  where  you,  my  lord,  may  encounter 
him.  As  to  Aasta,  of  her  and  of  Roderic  I 
have  something  strange  to  tell." 

Kenric  looked  up  at  Elspeth  in  surprise. 

"You  are  young,  my  lord,"  she  continued, 
"  and  you  know  not  the  things  that  have  been. 
But  I  am  old.  Not  always  has  it  been  with 
me  as  you  see  me  now.  Time  was,  my  lord, 
when  I,  who  am  now  a  poor  infirm  woman,  de- 
cried as  a  witch,  despised  of  men,  was  a  fair 
and  joyous  young  maid.  My  father  was  a 
king-' 

"  A  king  ?  "  echoed  Kenric. 

"  Even  so.  And  he  had  his  castle  under  the 
Black  Fell  that  is  in  far-off  Iceland.  Men 
named  me  Elspeth  White-arm,  and  my  lord  and 
husband  was  also  a  king.  He  was  the  noblest 
and  truest  of  all  the  monarchs  of  the  North, 
and  he  was  the  lord  over  the  Westermann 
Islands.  We  had  one  child,  and  we  named 
her  Sigrid  the  Fair." 


ELSPETH    BLACKFELL  327 

"  Elspeth,  Elspeth,  what  is  this  that  you  are 
saying  ? "  cried  Kenric,  partly  guessing  what 
was  to  come. 

"  Sigrid  was  a  wild  and  self-willed  child,"  the 
old  woman  continued,  fixing  her  blue  eyes  on 
Kenric,  "  but  I  loved  her  well.  And  on  a  time 
—  'tis  a  full  score  and  four  years  ago  —  she  dis- 
appeared, and  we  could  find  her  nowhere,  until 
my  lord  went  out  upon  his  ship  and  boarded 
the  galley  of  a  bold  viking  of  the  south  whose 
name  was  Rudri  Alpinson,  or,  as  the  Scots 
called  him,  Roderic  MacAlpin.  On  Roderic's 
galley  was  Sigrid  found;  but  she  would  not 
return,  for  she  loved  this  man  Roderic  passing 
well,  knowing  little  of  his  evil  heart.  My  lord, 
in  trying  to  win  her  back,  was  slain  by  Rod- 
eric's hand,  and  thereupon  Roderic  carried 
away  my  child  as  his  willing  captive  to  his 
island  home  in  Gigha.  There  he  made  her  his 
wedded  wife.  But  not  long  had  my  lord  been 
dead,  not  long  had  his  younger  brother  taken 
his  place  as  ruler  in  our  land,  when  my  heart 
so  yearned  for  my  fair  Sigrid  that  I  took  ship 
and  came  south  in  search  of  her.  By  chance  I 
landed  upon  your  father's  isle  of  Bute,  for  it 
was  of  Bute  that  Roderic  had  spoken  as  the 
home  of  his  fathers. 

"  The  ship  that  brought  me  hither  was  the 
ship  of  my  brother,  Rapp  the  Icelander.  Him 
I  bade  go  over  to  Gigha  and  fulfil  for  me  my 


328  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

vengeance  upon  my  enemy  Roderic,  and  rescue 
my  daughter.  But  the  people  secretly  told  him 
that  Roderic  had  been  cruel  to  Sigrid,  and  that 
her  love  for  him  had  vanished  as  the  morning 
mist.  My  child  had  lost  her  reason,  and  in  her 
mad  despair  she  had  gone  out  one  day  and  cast 
herself  from  the  cliffs  into  the  sea.  Now  Sig- 
rid had  left  two  children,  and  it  was  said  that 
they  were  unhappy.  So  Rapp,  searching  for 
them,  with  intent  to  carry  them  off  and  bring 
them  to  me  that  I  might  be  revenged  upon 
their  father,  found  them  one  day  playing  in  a 
great  rock  tunnel  in  Gigha." 

"  I  know  the  place,"  said  Kenric ;  "  'twas 
there  that  Aasta  - 

"  'Twas  there  that  Rapp  the  Icelander  found 
Earl  Roderic's  bairns,  and  from  thence  he  car- 
ried them  off.  Those  bairns,  my  lord,  were 
Aasta  the  Fair  and  the  boy  Lulach." 

"Aasta?  Lulach?"  cried  Kenric  in  aston- 
ishment, as  he  rose  and  began  to  pace  the  rocky 
floor.  "And  they  were  brother  and  sister? 
And  they  were  the  children  of  Roderic  —  my 
own  cousins?  This  is  a  strange  thing  that 
you  are  telling  me,  Elspeth,  and  I  can  scarce 
believe  it ! " 

"'Tis  none  the  less  true,  my  lord,"  said  Elspeth. 

"And  Lulach  —  it  was  then  his  own  father 
who  slew  him !  And  it  was  her  own  father 
whom  Aasta  fought  against  at  Largs ! " 


THE  BLACK  FROST  ON  ASCOG  MERE    329 

"  Even  so.  And  pity  'tis  that  she  did  not 
kill  him." 

"  Pity  indeed,"  said  Kenric.  "And  now  you 
say  that  Roderic  is  in  Bute  ? " 

"  He  is  here  with  intent  to  slay  you,  Earl 
Kenric,  in  some  such  subtle  way  as  he  slew 
your  good  father.  But  I  have  told  you  where 
he  will  be  at  midnight.  Go  thither,  I  charge 
you,  and  take  the  Thirsty  Sword  that  Aasta 
gave  you.  And  may  the  blood  of  our  enemy 
Roderic  be  the  last  that  it  will  drink." 


CHAPTER   XXX 

THE  BLACK  FROST  ON  ASCOG  MERE 

IS  ENRIC  took  old  Elspeth  back  with  him  to 
A  v  Rothesay,  and  there,  as  she  would  not 
agree  to  take  up  her  quarters  within  the  castle, 
he  gave  her  a  little  cottage,  bidding  her  remain 
there  in  comfort  for  the  rest  of  her  days.  As 
to  Aasta  the  Fair,  he  had  no  doubt  in  his  mind 
that  on  being  told  that  she  was  his  own  cousin, 
she  would  yield  to  him  when  he  asked  her  to 
make  the  castle  of  Rothesay  her  home,  and  he 
at  once  besought  his  mother  to  make  prepara- 
tions to  receive  her. 


33O  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

Late  in  the  evening,  the  moon  being  at  the 
full,  Allan  and  Ailsa  Redmain,  with  Margery 
de  Currie,  set  out,  attended  by  two  armed 
guards,  for  the  chapel  of  St.  Blane's,  where 
midnight  mass  was  to  be  celebrated  for  the 
dying  year. 

Kenric,  less  cheerful  than  his  three  compan- 
ions, went  with  them  but  a  little  distance. 
Leaving  them  to  continue  their  way  through 
the  dingle  of  Lochly,  he  branched  off  eastward 
towards  Ascog.  He  wended  his  way  across 
the  bare  hard  land,  walking  with  rapid  strides, 
for  the  night  was  bitterly  cold,  and  the  wintry 
wind  made  his  cheeks  tingle  as  he  bent  before 
it.  Under  his  sheepskin  cloak  that  he  held 
close  about  his  body,  he  carried  his  terrible 
sword.  He  kept  to  the  leeward  shelter  of  the 
rising  ground,  but  at  times  he  was  obliged  to 
cross  the  ridges  of  the  bare  hills,  and  there  the 
wind,  sweeping  over  the  wide  moonlit  firth,  was 
like  the  cutting  of  knife-blades  upon  his  face. 
His  breath,  that  gathered  as  dew  upon  the 
down  of  his  upper  lip,  was  turned  to  beads  of 
ice.  The  streams  and  pools  of  water  had 
shrunk  into  solid  icy  masses,  and  the  earth  was 
unyielding  as  granite  rocks. 

Still  keeping  to  the  uplands,  he  at  length 
entered  into  the  woods  of  Ascog,  and  walked 
among  the  dark  trees  until  he  stood  above  the 
steep  path  leading  downward  to  Elspeth's  cave. 


THE  BLACK  FROST  ON  ASCOG  MERE    33! 

He  descended  by  the  slippery  ground,  holding 
on  by  the  dry  tree-branches.  At  the  mouth  of 
the  cave  he  stood  awhile,  stamping  his  feet  that 
he  might  be  heard.  But  there  was  no  response. 
He  drew  aside  the  stiff  hide  curtain  and  looked 
within.  All  was  black,  cold  desolation. 

"Aasta  ?  Aasta  ?  "  he  called.  But  no  voice 
answered  him.  He  went  inside  the  cave  and 
felt  about  for  the  place  where  he  had  seen 
Elspeth  leave  the  flint  and  steel.  He  lighted  a 
rush  candle  and  looked  about  him.  Everything 
was  as  he  had  left  it  a  few  hours  before.  Aasta 
had  not  returned.  He  found,  here  a  little  cap, 
made  of  gay  feathers  and  squirrel  fur,  that 
Aasta  was  wont  to  wear ;  and  there  a  necklace 
of  bright-hued  sea-shells.  In  a  corner  there 
was  a  pair  of  small  slippers,  trimmed  with  odd 
bits  of  coloured  silk,  and  lined  with  white  hare- 
skin,  and  beside  them  a  girdle  of  crimson 
leather.  He  looked  upon  these  objects  with 
strange  reverence,  but  did  not  dare  to  touch 
them. 

Then  he  went  to  the  cave's  entrance  and 
stood  with  his  shoulder  leaning  against  the 
rock,  and  looking  dreamily  across  the  Clyde 
towards  Largs.  It  was  still  two  hours  before 
midnight,  and  believing  that  he  was  soon  to 
encounter  his  enemy  Roderic  in  a  hand-to-hand 
combat,  he  felt  a  gloomy,  melancholy  spirit 
come  upon  him.  If  Roderic  should  overcome 


332  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

him  in  the  fight,  how  would  it  be  with  the 
people  of  Bute  ?  They  would  never  be  happy 
under  the  tyrannical  rule  of  the  bold  sea-rover. 
What  would  become  of  his  mother?  She 
would  have  to  leave  the  castle  of  Rothesay,  and 
perhaps  return,  desolate  and  alone,  to  England. 
Sir  Allan  Redmain,  who  was  now  the  steward 
of  Bute,  would  never  bend  before  the  man  who 
had  brought  so  much  misfortune  upon  the  isl- 
and. And  Aasta,  what  of  her  ?  Would  she, 
who  had  nursed  a  hatred  against  Roderic  more 
bitter  even  than  Kenric's,  would  she  ever  recog- 
nize this  man  as  her  father,  however  kind  he 
might  be  to  her  ?  No,  no.  Kenric  knew  not 
a  man  or  woman  in  all  the  land  who  would 
welcome  his  uncle  as  their  king.  No  evil 
could  befall  them  greater  than  this. 

But  if  Roderic  should  fall  in  the  fight,  there 
might  follow  many,  many  years  of  peace  and 
happiness  in  Bute.  Kenric  pictured  what  that 
happiness  might  be.  He  pictured  his  people 
living  in  safe  prosperity,  with  thriving  com- 
merce and  fruitful  farms ;  himself  ruling,  with 
what  wisdom  or  justice  he  possessed,  over  a 
contented  and  law-abiding  people  —  his  mother 
living  to  a  ripe  and  happy  old  age  in  Rothesay 
Castle.  Sir  Allan  Redmain,  his  trusty  steward 
and  loved  friend,  would  be  wedded  to  Margery 
de  Currie.  Aasta  would  be  happy  too;  he 
would  love  her  always  as  his  very  dear  cousin, 


THE    BLACK    FROST   ON    ASCOG   MERE        333 

and  who  could  tell  but  that  some  day,  when  all 
her  past  troubles  were  forgotten,  she  might 
marry  some  great  and  good  nobleman  of  Scot- 
land, who  would  restore  her  to  such  dignity  as 
she  deserved  ? 

There  was  another  of  whom,  deep  in  his 
heart,  Kenric  thought  very  tenderly,  and  that 
other  was  Ailsa  Redmain.  Both  he  and  she 
were  yet  young  to  think  of  such  matters,  but 
he  loved  her  right  well,  and  in  a  few  years' 
time  he  might  even  follow  the  example  of  her 
brother  Allan  and  take  unto  himself  a  wife. 
And  if  Ailsa  would  yield  to  him —  But  he 
checked  himself  in  his  dreams.  All  this  possi- 
ble good  fortune  must  depend  upon  the  issue 
of  his  encounter  with  Roderic.  Standing  there 
at  the  mouth  of  the  cave,  he  felt  the  sharp  frost 
penetrating  his  limbs,  and  he  turned  away. 

Regaining  the  higher  ground  he  began  to 
run,  and  soon  his  feet  grew  warm.  Slackening 
his  pace,  he  walked  down  towards  Ascog  Loch, 
listening  the  while  for  the  sounds  of  Aasta's 
footsteps.  Elspeth  had  told  him  that  the 
maiden  would  surely  return  to  the  cave  two 
hours  before  midnight.  But  she  had  not  come. 
Had  some  disaster  overtaken  her?  Whither 
had  she  gone  ? 

The  story  that  Elspeth  Blackfell  had  told 
him  had  sunk  deep  in  his  mind.  It  explained 
many  things  that  had  before  been  mysteries  to 


334  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

him.  He  saw  in  it  an  explanation  of  why  he 
had  been  drawn  in  affection  towards  Aasta,  and 
why,  in  spite  of  her  having  been  a  bondmaid, 
he  had  recognized  that  she  was  of  gentle  blood. 
He  was  glad  that  he  had  given  her  freedom 
from  her  thraldom.  And  now  he  thought  of 
how  she  had  bestowed  upon  him  the  great 
sword  of  his  noble  ancestor,  and  reflected  that 
King  Somerled  was  in  truth  Aasta's  ancestor 
no  less  than  his  own.  How  sweet  it  was  to  think 
of  the  journey  he  had  gone  with  her  over  to 
Gigha,  the  home  from  which  as  a  child  she  had 
been  carried  off  with  Lulach!  It  was  easy  now 
to  understand  how  she  had  recognized  that  rock 
tunnel  through  which  the  little  coracle  had 
been  paddled.  Aasta  had  thought  that  she 
had  but  seen  the  place  in  a  dream-vision,  but 
haply  she  had  many  a  time  played  among  those 
rocky  caverns  in  her  infant  days. 

And  now  he  was  going  forth  with  intent  to 
kill  Aasta's  father,  believing  that  to  be  the  only 
means  by  which  Aasta's  happiness  and  the  wel- 
fare of  his  people  of  Bute  and  Gigha  could  be 
secured.  Aasta  herself  had  tried  to  slay  this 
man;  she  had  fought  with  him  upon  the  ships 
at  the  siege  of  Rothesay;  she  had  engaged  with 
him  hand  to  hand  in  the  battle  of  Largs.  She 
did  not  then  know  that  Roderic  was  her  own 
parent;  but  Roderic  had  done  nothing  that 
could  have  power  to  change  his  daughter's 


THE  BLACK  FROST  ON  ASCOG  MERE    335 

hatred  into  love,  and  even  if  she  were  now 
restored  to  him,  would  she  ever  forgive  him  the 
injuries  he  had  done  ?  Kenric  turned  this  ques- 
tion over  in  his  mind,  wondering  if  Aasta 
•would  blame  him  if  it  should  be  that  he  brought 
her  father  to  his  death  without  first  allowing 
her  to  speak  with  him,  and  for  this  reason  he 
was  ill  at  ease.  But  Aasta  was  nowhere  to  be 
found,  and  Kenric  well  understood  what  ills 
might  follow  if  he  missed  this  chance  that 
Elspeth  Blackfell  had  afforded  him  of  en- 
countering his  dread  foe. 

He  was  presently  upon  the  shore  of  Ascog 
Mere,  whose  surface  was  now  frozen  over  with 
thick  clear  ice.  The  black  frost  of  the  past 
night  and  day  had  taken  into  its  firm  grip  the 
waters  of  every  lake  and  torrent  in  the  island. 
Even  the  distant  murmur  of  the  waterfalls  of 
Arran  was  hushed  into  silence  now,  and  all 
around  was  deathly  still.  The  wind  had  sunk 
into  a  whisper  and  the  few  fleecy  white  clouds 
up  above  glided  like  ghosts  across  the  deep-blue 
sky.  High  over  the  snowy  peaks  of  the  Arran 
mountains  the  full  moon  shone  like  a  great 
silver  shield  and  cast  its  radiance  upon  the 
glassy  surface  of  the  lake.  The  wintry  night 
was  almost  as  light  as  day,  and  every  rock  and 
tree  stood  out  distinct  and  black. 

Kenric  left  the  uneven  ground  and  stepped 
upon  the  thick  strong  ice,  which  was  so  clear 


336  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

at  the  edge  that  he  could  even  see  the  shadowy 
reeds  below.  He  walked  outward  with  steady 
steps,  and  bent  his  course  southward  in  the 
shimmering  track  of  the  moon's  light.  The 
lake  was  very  deep,  but  Kenric  had  no  fear,  for 
the  ice  was  many  inches  thick  and  his  foothold 
was  sure. 

As  he  reached  the  middle  of  the  lake,  where 
no  sound  came  to  him  but  the  regular  tread  of 
his  soft  hide  shoes  and  the  tinkling  ring  of  the 
ice,  a  feeling  of  awe  came  over  him.  He  sol- 
emnly remembered  that  it  was  the  last  hour 
of  the  passing  year — it  might  also  be  his  last 
hour  upon  earth.  He  was  not  afraid ;  but  the 
deadly  silence,  the  wan  light  of  the  moon,  the 
piercing  cold,  his  lonely  situation  upon  that 
shining  stretch  of  ice,  and  his  knowledge  that 
he  would  soon  be  engaged  in  a  mortal  combat, 
whose  results  must  determine  so  much  for  him- 
self and  for  his  people,  oppressed  his  mind 
very  strangely;  nor  could  he  dismiss  from 
his  thoughts  the  surprising  things  that  he  had 
heard  that  day  concerning  Aasta  the  Fair. 

Suddenly,  as  he  looked  before  him  towards 
the  shore  that  he  was  approaching,  he  was 
startled  at  seeing  a  black  shadow  upon  the  ice. 
It  was  as  though  some  human  being  were  lying 
there.  He  saw  the  figure  move.  Slowly, 
stealthily  it  crept  towards  him.  Kenric  stood 
still,  taking  off  his  fur  gauntlets  and  putting  his 


THE  BLACK  FROST  ON  ASCOG  MERE    337 

hand  to  his  sword.  Then  the  figure  crept  more 
rapidly.  Nearer  and  yet  nearer  it  came.  He 
saw  now  that  it  was  a  large  animal.  Its 
glistening  eyes  and  long  legs  showed  that  it 
was  a  wolf.  He  drew  his  sword  and  went  to 
meet  it.  The  wolf  growled  as  in  hungry  anger, 
and  crouched  down  as  though  preparing  to 
spring  upon  him.  Kenric  raised  his  sword  to 
strike,  the  wolf  bounded  forward,  and  as  his 
weapon  was  about  to  descend  upon  its  head  the 
animal  swerved.  The  moon's  light  revealed  a 
white  patch  of  hair  upon  its  breast. 

Kenric  staggered  backward,  unwilling  now 
to  strike. 

"Aasta!"  he  cried.  "Aasta  ?  The  were- 
wolf?" 

At  the  same  moment  he  loosed  his  grip  of 
the  sword,  and  the  weapon,  impelled  by  the 
force  his  arm  had  given  it,  flew  from  his  hand, 
and  falling  upon  the  slippery  ice  skated  along 
for  many  yards,  making  a  noise  like  the  chirp- 
ing of  a  vast  flock  of  finches. 

Kenric  stepped  back  yet  further  and  stood 
ready  to  meet  the  wolf,  and,  if  need  were,  grap- 
ple with  it.  But  the  animal,  startled  at  the 
sound  made  by  the  sliding  sword,  ran  off 
towards  the  shore  and  quickly  disappeared 
among  the  shadows  of  the  trees. 

What  was  the  meaning  of  that  wolf  being 
there  upon  the  ice  ?  Kenric  stood  in  confused 


338  THE   THIRSTY    SWORD 

wonderment.  And  if,  as  he  half-supposed,  this 
white-breasted  animal  was  not  as  other  wolves, 
which  fear  to  tread  on  ice  —  if  it  was  in  very 
truth  the  were-wolf  form  which  the  wild  Aasta 
had  power  to  assume,  why  had  she  not  recog- 
nized him  ?  Why  had  she  run  away  ?  Was 
it  that  she  had  now  taken  to  the  cover  of  the 
woods,  that  she  might  presently  reappear  in  her 
own  maidenly  figure?  There  was  something 
in  all  this  that  passed  his  understanding. 

He  followed  a  few  paces  in  the  direction  taken 
by  the  wolf,  then,  remembering  his  sword,  he 
turned  aside.  He  looked  about  upon  the  clear 
icy  surface  for  his  weapon.  The  force  that  his 
arm  had  given  it  had  sent  it  far  away  towards 
the  margin  of  the  mere,  to  the  same  spot,  indeed, 
where  the  were-wolf  had  first  been  seen.  At 
last  he  saw  the  shining  blade  lying  in  the  midst 
of  the  line  of  light  shed  by  the  bright  moon 
upon  the  polished  ice.  He  went  towards  it  and 
bent  down  to  pick  it  up.  The  ice  where  it  lay 
was  smooth  and  transparent  as  a  sheet  of  glass, 
and  it  seemed  to  Kenric  as  he  bent  over  it  that 
he  saw  in  it  the  reflection  of  his  own  face.  So 
distinct  were  the  features  that  he  recoiled  in 
sudden  alarm.  Then  he  fell  down  upon  his 
knees,  resting  upon  his  outstretched  hands.  He 
fixed  his  astonished  eyes  upon  the  face  in  the 
ice.  A  wild  cry  escaped  him.  The  face  was 
not  his  own ! 


THE    BLACK    FROST    ON    ASCOG    MERE        339 

Drawing  back  for  a  moment  he  looked  once 
more  at  the  strange  image.  The  rounded 
cheeks  were  white  as  snow;  the  eyes  were 
motionless  and  glassy ;  the  beautiful  bloodless 
lips,  slightly  parted,  revealed  a  row  of  pearly 
teeth.  It  was  the  face  of  Aasta  the  Fair. 

Kenric  tried  to  touch  her,  to  take  her  in  his 
arms.  But  the  intervening  ice  inclosed  her  as 
in  a  crystal  casket.  He  saw  that  the  stray 
locks  of  her  long  hair,  floating  in  the  clear  water, 
had  been  caught  by  the  quick  frost,  and  that 
they  were  now  held  within  the  firm  thick  ice. 
Upon  her  fair  white  throat  there  were  marks  as 
of  a  man's  rough  fingers.  She  held  her  right 
hand  upon  her  breast,  and  in  its  grasp  there 
was  a  long  sharp  dirk. 

Kenric  rose  and  stood  looking  down  upon  the 
beautiful  form  of  the  dead  girl.  He  was  as  one 
who  had  been  stunned  by  a  terrible  blow.  For 
many  minutes  he  stood  there  mute  and  motion- 
less, with  folded  hands  and  bowed  head.  Soon 
a  snowy  cloud  passed  before  the  moon  and  cast 
a  dark  shadow  upon  the  ice.  The  imprisoned 
image  seemed  to  melt  away.  Yet  Kenric  knew 
that  what  he  had  seen  was  no  illusion,  but  that 
Aasta  the  Fair  lay  lifeless  in  her  frost-bound 
tomb. 

Then  Kenric  thought  of  his  enemy  —  who 
was  surely  Aasta's  enemy  even  more  than  his 
own  —  and  he  gripped  his  sword. 


34O  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

"  I  will  come  back,"  he  murmured  sadly  as  he 
cast  once  more  a  lingering  glance  upon  the 
now  indistinct  figure  beneath  the  ice.  "  I  will 
come  back,  Aasta.  And  now,  a  truce  to  all  fear. 
Let  me  now  meet  this  man  and  slay  him,  for 
there  is  no  one  who  can  now  mourn  for  his 
death.  It  is  right  that  he  should  die,  for  the 
hour  of  retribution  has  surely  come  ' " 


CHAPTER   XXXI 

THE    LAST    DREAD    FIGHT 

NOT  long  was  Kenric  in  covering  the  few 
miles  between  Loch  Ascog  and  Garroch 
Head.  He  feared  to  be  too  late,  for  it  was 
already  but  one  short  hour  before  midnight. 
But  his  limbs  were  cold,  and  he  had  therefore  a 
double  reason  for  running.  Soon,  instead  of 
being  too  cold  he  became  over-hot ;  his  heavy 
sheepskin  cloak  oppressed  him,  and  he  threw 
it  off,  leaving  it  lying  upon  the  ground.  Thus 
relieved,  he  slung  his  sword  under  his  arm  and 
ran  on  and  on  past  the  silent  farmsteads,  over 
hard  ploughed  fields  and  bare  moorland,  past 
the  desolate  Circle  of  Penance,  and  past  the 


THE    LAST    DREAD    FIGHT  341 

little  chapel  of  St.  Blane's,  where  many  islanders 
were  already  gathered  to  join  in  the  New  Year 
service.  Then  for  another  short  mile  beyond 
the  abbey  he  hastened,  until  from  the  rising 
ground  he  came  in  sight  of  the  murmuring, 
moonlit  sea.  Now  he  slackened  his  pace  to  a 
brisk  walk,  and  skirting  the  line  of  cliffs  he 
presently  came  upon  the  rocky  headland  of 
Garroch. 

His  whole  body  was  in  a  warm  glow ;  his 
breath  came  regular  and  strong  from  the  depths 
of  his  broad  chest.  He  felt  himself  better  fitted 
for  battle,  more  powerful  of  limb  than  he  had 
ever  done  before,  and  never  had  he  entered  into 
combat  with  a  fuller  sense  of  the  justice  of  the 
approaching  encounter.  He  looked  about  the 
bald  headland  to  left  and  right,  but  Roderic  was 
not  yet  to  be  seen.  Kenric's  heart  sank  within 
him  in  anxious  disappointment.  But  as  he  ap- 
proached the  extreme  angle  of  the  cape,  he  saw 
a  tall  cloaked  figure  appear  from  behind  the 
shelter  of  a  dark  rock. 

Roderic  came  slowly  towards  him,  blowing 
his  warm  breath  into  his  cold,  crisped  fists. 
Kenric's  face  was  in  shadow,  and  the  outlaw  did 
not  recognize  him. 

"  So,"  said  Roderic,  "  Elspeth  Blackfell  has 
not  this  time  deceived  me,  eh  ?  'Twas  she  who 
sent  you  here,  young  man  ?  " 

"  It  was,"  Kenric  replied. 


342  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

"And  how  happens  it  that  she  sent  not  the 
maid  Aasta  ? " 

"  'Twas  beyond  her  power,  Earl  Roderic," 
answered  Kenric  in  a  quivering  voice. 

"  What  ?  "  cried  Roderic  surlily,  "beyond  her 
power?  Tell  me  no  lies.  The  old  crone  is  but 
playing  some  witch's  trick  upon  me.  Where  is 
my  daughter,  I  say?  where  is  my  child?" 

"Aasta  the  Fair,  Heaven  rest  her  soul !  now 
sleeps  beneath  the  cold  ice  of  Ascog  Loch," 
said  Kenric  solemnly;  "she  is  dead." 

A  sudden  hoarse  cry  from  Roderic  followed 
these  words. 

"  Dead  ? "  he  echoed,  "  dead,  you  say,  and 
under  the  ice  of  the  loch  ?  " 

"  Even  so,"  replied  the  youth,  keeping  his  eye 
fixed  upon  Roderic's  movements.  "  'Tis  but  a 
little  time  since  that  I  saw  her  lying  in  the 
frozen  waters." 

Roderic  staggered  back  a  pace,  wildly.  He 
tugged  at  the  neck  of  his  cloak  as  though 
it  were  stifling  him.  "Ah,  God  forgive  me ! " 
he  wailed.  "Alas,  'twas  she  —  'twas  then  my 
own  child  who  so  wildly  attacked  me  yester- 
night !  'Twas  my  own  Aasta  who  so  boldly 
fought  against  me  at  Largs.  'Twas  she  whom 
I  took  captive  in  my  ship  from  Rothesay.  And 
'twas  she  also  who  cursed  me  over  at  Barone  — 
ay,  cursed  her  own  father!  Great  God,  the 
curse  has  come  true !  For  my  own  two  chil- 


THE    LAST    DREAD    FIGHT  343 

dren  have  been  slain  before  my  eyes  —  first 
Lulach,  then  herself  —  and  I  their  father  slew 
them  both ! " 

"  What  means  this  ?  "  cried  Kenric,  growing 
pale  in  the  moonlight  and  grasping  his  sword. 
"  You  slew  Aasta  ?  you  ?  Oh,  villain  ! " 

"Ah,  that  voice  !  methinks  I  know  it,"  said 
Roderic,  starting  in  surprise  and  turning  upon 
Kenric.  "  So  then  'tis  you,  young  Kenric,  that 
is  Dame  Elspeth's  messenger?  Much  do  I 
thank  her  for  so  promptly  helping  me.  By  St. 
Olaf,  but  this  is  most  fortunate.  Ha !  no  need 
have  you  to  draw  your  sword.  It  will  serve 
you  no  purpose  now.  As  well  might  you  seek 
to  move  Goatfell  as  think  of  holding  your  own 
against  Roderic  MacAlpin." 

But  Kenric,  learning  thus  how  Aasta  had 
come  by  her  terrible  fate,  felt  his  craving  for 
battle  grow  stronger.  He  spoke  no  word,  but 
stood  with  his  naked  weapon  ready  in  his 
hands. 

Roderic  threw  off  his  heavy  cloak  and  drew 
his  sword.  The  moonlight  shone  in  his  fierce 
eyes  as  he  looked  upon  the  strong  young  form 
of  his  antagonist.  From  the  shore  at  the  foot 
of  the  cliff  came  the  mournful  sighing  of  the 
rising  tide.  For  a  few  moments  the  two  war- 
riors faced  each  other  in  silence.  Then  like 
a  pair  of  rival  stags  they  stamped  their  feet 
upon  the  frozen  ground.  Roderic  tried  to  get 


344  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

Kenric  round  with  the  moonlight  upon  him. 
But  Kenric  stood  firm  as  a  rock.  Their  weap- 
ons crossed,  scraping  each  upon  the  other, 
pressing  easily  to  right  and  left,  and  always 
touching.  Then  Roderic  made  a  sudden  step 
backward ;  the  swords  were  point  to  point. 
Swiftly,  at  the  same  instant,  each  raised  his 
weapon  above  his  head,  grasping  its  handle 
with  his  two  strong  hands,  and  flinging  it  back 
till  his  elbows  were  on  a  level  with  his  crown. 
They  rushed  together,  each  taking  two  steps 
forward.  Their  two  swords  swished  through 
the  air ;  but  Kenric's  glanced  aside  with  a 
quick  movement  of  his  strong  wrists,  and 
caught  Roderic's  weapon  in  mid-blade  with  a 
ringing  clash. 

"  Well  guarded !  "  muttered  Roderic  grudg- 
ingly. "  By  the  saints,  but  you  are  no  weak- 
ling novice,  young  man,"  and  he  stepped  back 
again  to  recover. 

Now  it  was  not  without  profit  that,  on  that 
time  many  months  before,  Kenric  had  watched 
the  fatal  duel  between  Roderic  and  his  brother 
Alpin,  and  he  knew  Roderic's  invariable  trick 
of  aiming  at  his  assailant's  head.  His  success- 
ful guarding  of  the  first  blow  gave  him  confi- 
dence. 

Again  the  two  combatants  closed  as  before, 
tapping  and  scraping  their  blades  together; 
and  again  they  flung  back  their  arms.  This 


THE    LAST    DREAD    FIGHT  345 

time  Roderic  was  quicker  in  his  onslaught,  and 
he  aimed  from  the  right.  But  Kenric,  instead 
of  attempting  to  strike,  promptly  guarded  his 
left  and  intercepted  the  blow  as  before.  Ere 
Roderic  could  recover  for  a  new  attack,  he  felt 
a  sharp  cut  across  his  bare  neck.  He  roared 
in  pain  and  fury,  and  sprang  upon  Kenric  with 
redoubled  force.  The  swords  clashed  together 
with  mighty  strokes.  Roderic,  amazed  at  Ken- 
ric's  skilful  fighting,  grew  ever  more  rash  in  his 
attempts  to  smite  him  down  and  conquer  him 
by  superior  strength ;  while  Kenric,  with  steady 
watchful  eye,  marked  every  movement,  coolly 
guarding  each  fearful  blow,  as  though  he  knew 
as  surely  as  did  his  assailant  where  Roderic 
intended  to  strike. 

At  last,  completely  bafHed,  Roderic  paused, 
drew  back,  and  rested  the  point  of  his  long 
sword  upon  the  hard  ground. 

"  To  the  death  ! "  said  Kenric  solemnly,  also 
lowering  his  weapon. 

"Ay,  to  your  death  be  it,"  returned  Roderic, 
wiping  the  blood  from  his  wounded  neck  with 
his  bare  hand.  Then  again,  breathing  deeply, 
he  took  his  ground. 

Clash,  clash  went  their  mighty  swords  once 
more  as  they  closed  together  in  their  deadly  com- 
bat. And  now  Roderic  threw  back  his  weapon 
with  a  great  swing,  and  bent  his  strong  body  to 
bring  the  blade  down  with  a  final  swoop  upon 


346  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

Kenric's  head.  He  made  a  furious  spring  for- 
ward. His  sword  flashed  in  a  half-circle,  whiz- 
zing through  the  air  with  frightful  speed.  It 
was  a  blow  that  might  have  felled  an  ox.  But 
the  ponderous  weapon  met  nothing  until,  slip- 
ping from  his  blood-wet  hand,  it  fell  with  a  crash 
upon  the  hard  ground.  At  the  same  moment 
Roderic  uttered  a  groan.  He  staggered  forward 
with  his  empty  hands  outspread.  He  fell  with 
a  heavy  thud  upon  his  right  shoulder,  rolled 
over,  and  then  lay  stretched  upon  the  turf  with 
the  point  of  Kenric's  sword  buried  deep  in  his 
heart.  A  deathly  silence  followed,  broken  only 
by  the  moaning  of  the  sea-waves  as  they  curled 
upon  the  beach.  Kenric  breathed  a  deep  sigh. 
With  difficulty  he  drew  his  terrible  weapon 
from  the  breast  of  his  dead  foe.  The  Thirsty 
Sword  had  drunk  its  final  draught. 

Carrying  the  weapon  away,  Kenric  stood  for 
many  moments  upon  the  extreme  point  of  the 
jutting  headland  overlooking  the  open  sea. 
Taking  the  Sword  in  his  two  hands  he  swung 
it  in  a  sweeping  circle  about  his  head,  and 
stepping  forward  flung  it  far  out  into  the 
frosty  air.  Away  it  sped  like  a  well-aimed 
arrow.  The  moonbeams  flashed  upon  the 
bright  blade  as  it  turned  in  its  descent,  hilt 
downward,  and  plunged  for  ever  deep,  deep 
into  the  sea. 

Then    Kenric    stood    awhile    with    clasped 


THE    LAST    DREAD    FIGHT  347 

hands,  looking  far  across  to  the  Arran  fells, 
whose  snowy  mantles  glanced  like  silver  under 
the  silent  moon.  From  the  distance  behind 
him  he  heard  the  faint  tinkling  of  the  chapel 
bell,  telling  him  that  the  old  year,  with  its  tur- 
moil and  trouble,  was  at  its  end ;  and  he 
dropped  down  upon  his  knees  and  covered  his 
face  with  his  hands. 

It  was  scarcely  half  an  hour  after  midnight 
when  Kenric  walked  towards  the  arched  door- 
way of  St.  Blane's  chapel.  As  he  drew  near 
he  saw  the  dim  light  within,  shining  through 
the  narrow  windows  of  coloured  glass,  and  he 
heard  the  solemn  murmur  of  prayer.  He  was 
about  to  enter  when  a  hand  was  suddenly  laid 
upon  his  shoulder. 

"  'Tis  you,  my  lord  ?  "  said  the  voice  of  El- 
speth  Blackfell.  "  Then  it  must  surely  be  that 
you  have  fought  and  vanquished.  God  be 
thanked !  I  feared  that  it  had  gone  ill  with 
you,  for  I  found  your  cloak  lying  upon  the 
heath.  Where  is  the  villain  Roderic  ?  " 

"  Roderic  is  no  more ! "  answered  Kenric, 
taking  his  cloak  from  her  hands.  "  And  now 
I  go  within  the  chapel  to  give  thanks  to  God, 
in  that  He  hath  deigned  to  make  me  the  in- 
strument of  His  vengeance." 

"  Stay.  Ere  you  enter,  tell  me,  my  lord,  have 
you  news  of  my  dear  Aasta  ?  She  has  not  yet 


348  THE    THIRSTY    SWORD 

been  seen :  nor  has  our  watch-wolf  Lufa  been 
found.  Alas !  I  fear  me  the  wild  maid  has 
gone  off  to  Gigha." 

"  Not  so,"  said  Kenric.  "  But  come  with  me 
within  the  chapel,  good  Elspeth,  and  when  the 
service  is  over  I  will  tell  you  all." 

He  gently  pushed  open  the  door  and  drew 
Elspeth  with  him.  They  stood  there,  looking 
in  at  the  many  rough  islanders  with  their  heads 
bent  in  devotion.  The  sonorous  voice  of  the 
venerable  abbot  resounded  in  the  vaulted  aisle. 
The  cruse-lamps  hanging  from  the  high  rafters 
shed  their  dim  light  upon  the  bare  stone  walls, 
where  branches  of  red-berried  holly  were  en- 
twined with  tufts  of  larch  and  spruce  and  sprays 
of  mistletoe.  The  flickering  light  of  many 
tapers  shone  upon  the  embroidered  vestments 
of  the  abbot  and  the  gorgeous  altar-cloth. 

Presently  the  prayer  ended ;  the  people  rose 
with  shuffling  feet.  Sir  Allan  Redmain  from 
his  seat  in  front  of  the  altar  looked  anxiously 
round  towards  the  door,  as  he  had  done  many 
times  during  that  service,  in  search  of  Kenric. 
He  now  saw  the  bent  figure  of  Elspeth  Black- 
fell  and  behind  her  the  young  king. 

As  Kenric,  leading  Elspeth  forward,  walked 
slowly  up  the  aisle,  Allan  did  not  fail  to  notice 
that  his  sword  was  not  in  its  accustomed  place. 
The  abbot  paused  until  Earl  Kenric  had  taken 
his  seat  between  Sir  Allan  Redmain  and  Ailsa. 


THE    LAST    DREAD    FIGHT  349 

Kenric  caught  Ailsa's  hand  and  drew  it 
gently  to  him.  He  looked  down  into  her  eyes 
as  she  turned  to  smile  upon  him.  Then  from 
the  choir  of  white-robed  friars  there  rose  the 
chant  of  the  Gloria  in  Excelsis,  swelling  full  and 
strong.  To  Kenric,  as  he  stood  by  Ailsa's  side, 
the  words  came  with  a  deep  prophetic  meaning 
— "  Gloria  in  excelsis  Deo,  et  in  terra  pax  ho- 
minibus  bonae  voluntatis"  And  on  that  first 
early  dawn  of  the  new  year,  as  he  left  the  holy 
place  to  return  to  his  ancestral  home,  he  re- 
peated them  again,  looking  round  him  on  the 
land  for  which  his  sword  had  won  tranquillity : 

"  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,  and  on  earth 
peace  towards  men  of  good-will." 


THE    END 


A  List  of 

Novels  and  Stories 

Published  by 

Charles  Scribner  s  Sons 

By    EDITH    WHARTON 

SANCTUARY 

Illustrations  by  W.  Appleton  Clark 
i2mo,  $1.50 

Mrs.  Wharton's  story,  "  Sanctuary,"  the  first  work  of  any  length 
which  »he  has  published  since  The  Valley  of  Decision,  deals  with  a 
psychological  situation  of  a  most  interesting  and  novel  kind,  arising  from 
a  question  of  heredity  and  covering  two  periods  a  generation  apart. 
The  whole  is  worked  out  with  the  subtle  power  which  is  characteristic 
of  Mrs.  Wharton's  best  work,  and  holds  the  reader  intent  on  the  solu- 
tion hidden  until  the  last  from  even  the  cleverest  conjecture. 

25th  THOUSAND 

THE  VALLEY  OF 
DECISION 

i2mo,  $1.50 

"Individual  and  original  to  a  high  degree.  .  .  .  Rare  and 
fine  and  full  of  distinction — curiously  and  lovingly  wrought  by  a  sure 
hand.  ...  A  novel  of  notable  charm  and  ability. 
Very  subtle  and  artistic,  admirable  in  its  poise,  its  searching  dispassion- 
ateness."— HAMILTON  W.  MABIE,  in  the  New  York  Times  Saturday 
Re-vie-w. 

"It  places  Mrs.  Wharton  at  once  side  by  side  with  the  great 
novelists  of  the  day. " — Boston  Evening  Transcript. 

"It  is  a  great  novel,  perhaps  the  greatest  of  its  kind  our  language 
has  produced." — Pall  Mall  Gazette. 


By  F.   HOPKINSON    SMITH 

COLONEL  CARTER'S 
CHRISTMAS 

With   eight   illustrations   in  color  by  F.  C. 
Yohn.     i2mo,  $1.50 

Those  (if  there  be  such)  who  are  not  acquainted  with  the  celebrated 
Colonel  Carter  of  Cartersville  will  make  his  acquaintance  under  the 
most  fortunate  circumstances  in  this  story,  which  is  an  entirely  new  one 
not  heretofore  published,  even  serially  ;  while  those  who  know  him  of 
old,  and  of  course  love  him,  will  find  here,  in  addition  to  the  renewal 
of  an  old  and  delightful  friendship,  quite  a  new  revelation  of  a  character 
that  has  made  a  deep  and  lasting  impression  on  both  sides  of  the  sea. 
All  the  old  characters  are  met  again:  Chad,  the  Colonel's  servant, 
Aunt  Nancy,  Fitz,  Klutchem,  and  the  Major,  together  with  two  new 
ones.  In  the  old  story  the  Colonel  triumphed  financially  ;  in  this  one 
the  issue  hangs  upon  sheer  courtesy  and  nobility  of  heart.  It  is  a  tale 
that,  for  its  pathos,  its  humor,  and  its  humanity,  as  well  as  for  its 
skillful  telling,  takes  a  strong  grip  of  its  readers. 

THE  UNDER  DOG 

Illustrated.     i2mo,  $1.50 

"  Dramatic,  picturesque,  human,  sympathetic — those,  I  think,  are 
the  epithets  that  a  reader  would  apply  to  the  short  stories  which  Mr.  F. 
Hopkinson  Smith  has  grouped  under  the  rather  odd  title,  '  The  Under 
Dog.'  " — Brooklyn  Lift. 

THE    FORTUNES    OF 
OLIVER  HORN 

"With   full-page  illustrations  by  Walter 
Appleton  Clark.     i2mo,  $1.50 

"There  will  be  a  general  unanimity,  and  that  is  in  the  cordiality 
with  which  readers  will  recommend  it  to  their  friends." 

— Neiv  York  Commercial  Advertiser. 

"  It  is  long  since  more  charming  characters  were  brought  together 
in  one  book." — Neto  "fork  Times  Saturday  Re-view. 

"  Full  of  warmth  and  life,  while  its  characters  find  a  place  quickly 
in  one's  heart." — Chicago  Record-Herald. 

*#*  For  particulars  concerning  the  Beacon  Edition  of  the  works  of 
F.  Hopkinson  Smith,  sold  only  by  subscription,  send  for  circular. 


